Imran Khan’s victory is a positive moment for India-Pakistan relations that should be utilised to commence bilateral dialogue and structured engagement, says Pakistani envoy to India Sohail Mahmood

IN an exclusive conversation with The Tribune, the high commissioner who has remained in touch with senior Indian officials and ministers, says multiple levels of communication and resumption of sporting and cricketing ties will help build confidence between the two neighbours and ties must not be tied down to domestic elections. Smita Sharma talks to Sohail Mahmood. The excerpts:How positive are you about some movement forward in ties with India after Imran’s victory?Chairman PTI Imran Khan in his first public address after the elections reached out to India and outlined a forward-looking vision of bilateral relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s subsequent telephone call to congratulate Imran Khan was another positive development. Beyond the contentions of a part of the commentariat, there is an evidently positive attitude among people of India towards Imran Khan’s victory.Appropriately, this reflects respect for the verdict of the people of Pakistan. There is every reason to build on this positivity and to commence a process of bilateral engagement leading to structured dialogue on all issues.Do you think bilateral exchanges can resume soon? Or will it be difficult as India prepares for elections to be held in 2019? This is a moment of hope and opportunity, which must be seized. Imran Khan has stated that if India takes one step, Pakistan will take two. It will, therefore, be desirable to utilise this window of opportunity and jointly work out a realistic and practical way forward. As for electoral activity in India, it has been said that this is a country of serial elections. This cannot and should not become a reason to postpone business of foreign relations. In any case, India-Pakistan relationship is too important to be kept in abeyance for any length of time.There is a strong perception that Imran Khan may have personal friends in India, but the Pakistan army will dictate foreign-defence policy.Such speculation is unfortunate and detrimental to the cause of fostering better mutual understanding. It will be unwise for anyone to sit in judgment on the competence of a democratically elected leader of a neighbouring country. Equally unwise will be to make motivated projections about its civil-military relations. I can tell you in the clearest terms that all major political parties in Pakistan support a peaceful and cooperative relationship with India, with a just and durable solution of the Kashmir dispute. All state institutions support this primary thrust of Pakistan’s India policy. Its strongest corroboration is found in numerous pronouncements of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa.What confidence building measures (CBMs) should be taken by both countries?The foremost is to have requisite channels of communication and multi-layered interaction. The established institutional mechanisms—such as BSF-Rangers, ICG-PMSA (Indian Coast Guard-Pak Maritime Security Agency), DGMOs (Director General Of Military Operations), 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines and so on—should be kept fully operational. Kashmir and security-related CBMs should continue to be implemented faithfully. Efforts can be made to accelerate progress on the humanitarian track. Facilitate people-to-people exchanges.Bridging the mutual trust gap, fostering better understanding, addressing mutual concerns, resolving outstanding disputes and nurturing a belief in peaceful coexistence are indispensable for a stable and normal relationship. In this regard, the principles of mutual respect and sovereign equality remain critically important. I will also stress the need for taking cognisance of the new reality in Pakistan. Old narratives no longer hold. Developing a balanced perspective on social, demographic, political and economic transformations underway in Pakistan is the key.Are you hopeful Pakistan can host SAARC summit this year?SAARC reflects the shared vision and common desire of all South Asian nations to promote process of socio-economic development through a collective, regional platform as well. Neither the charter’s letter nor its spirit supports stalling the SAARC process on account of bilateral differences. Furthermore, several other member states — which have a vital stake in SAARC’s uninterrupted continuation — have called for reviving the process and holding the next summit. At the SAARC ministerial held on the sidelines of UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) in New York last year, Pakistan reiterated its readiness to host the summit. We hope it can be convened sooner rather than later.The Indian envoy gifted a bat to Imran Khan. Do you think cricketing ties may be resumed?Cricket is indeed a great connector. It is part of the DNA of the Pakistani and Indian nations.The game is undoubtedly at its best when these two giants clash on the cricket field. Our teams faced each other in international tournaments in third countries. But hundreds of millions of cricket lovers in the two countries are yearning to see their stars play in India and Pakistan. Resumption of cricket and other sports ties will help strengthen efforts to bring the two peoples closer, which is essential for a peaceful and prosperous South Asia.