Amid a deepening domestic crisis, Pakistan army chief General Qamar Bajwa on Saturday used highly reconciliatory language with regard to the country’s policy on India. He said all disputes with India should be settled peacefully through talks, and that Islamabad continued to believe in using diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, to keep the “flames of fire away from our region”. Gen Bajwa made this statement a day ahead of the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The Pakistani chief of army staff (COAS) was speaking at the two-day ‘Islamabad Security Dialogue’ conference that brought together Pakistani and international policy experts to discuss emerging challenges in international security under the theme ‘Comprehensive security: Reimagining international cooperation’.

His statement, however, cannot be seen in isolation. Faced with a major political crisis, Khan, too, has lately heaped praise on India for choosing to follow an independent foreign policy. Many political experts back home have derided his statements as an attempt to drag India into his own mess. But his statement, nevertheless, has been juxtaposed with his repeated attacks against the United States, without naming the superpower. He has said a “foreign power” was working behind the scenes to destabilise Pakistan.

The COAS, in his statements at the security dialogue, seems to have taken it upon himself to do some damage control by detailing Pakistan’s future intentions. He said relations with European, Gulf and Southeast Asian countries were vital for Pakistan’s development and progress.

“With one-third of the world in the Gulf region and elsewhere involved in some sort of conflict and war, it is important that we keep the flames of fire away from our region. Pakistan continues to believe in using dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute, and is ready to move forward on this front if India agrees to do so,” Gen Bajwa said.

He also termed the situation on the Line of Control as satisfactory and fairly peaceful, saying no incident had taken place along the LoC in the last year to the relief of the people living on both sides.

His statements also hold value, reflective of the notion that the military establishment of Pakistan has come to the rescue while Khan was putting the country’s global position at risk. It shows that the military could be a major guarantee to the country’s policy and outreach moving forward.

His proposal for peace with India has a wider meaning as he indirectly suggested a trilateral dialogue involving India, Pakistan and China to create an inclusive peace. He said apart from the Kashmir dispute, the India-China border dispute was also a matter of great concern for Pakistan.

“I believe it is time for the political leadership of the region to rise above their emotional and perceptual biases and break the shackles of history to bring peace and prosperity to almost three billion people of the region,” he said. He, however, added that the “adamant behaviour” of the Indian leaders was a hurdle.

Bilateral ties with Pakistan nosedived after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019. India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir will remain an integral part of the country, and that it desired normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

Talking about last month’s missile incident, he said India’s accidental firing created doubts regarding its ability to handle high-end weapon-systems, which was compounded by its unwillingness to share details with Pakistan. The missile fired on March 9 fell in the Mian Channu area of Khanewal district and it only came to light a day later when the army shared details.

“Unlike other incidents involving strategic weapons systems, this is the first time in history that a supersonic cruise missile from one nuclear-armed nation has landed in another,” he said, adding, “we believe that peace and stability in our wider region are prerequisites for achieving shared regional prosperity and development. Our doors are open for all our neighbours,” he said.

But, Gen Bajwa’s statement against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can be seen as a snub to India’s stand in the conflict. Khan, on the other hand, had praised India’s foreign policy in context to the country continuing to buy crude oil from Russia. “I commend India for always having and protecting its independent foreign policy for national and public interest. I do not blame India for this because it is looking out for its best interest,” Khan had said.

Gen Bajwa, however, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must be “stopped immediately”. He called it a “great tragedy”, Dawn reported. He expressed Pakistan’s serious concern over the conflict, adding that “despite legitimate security concerns of Russia, its aggression against a smaller country cannot be condoned”.

The army chief said Pakistan had enjoyed excellent defence and economic relationships with Ukraine since its independence but relations with Russia had been “cold” for a long time. But, he said, there had been some positive developments recently. In fact, Khan arrived in Russia for a diplomatic visit the day before President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade its eastern European neighbour on February 24.

Pakistan has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine via its air force and will continue to do, Gen Bajwa added.