Pakistan's military has quietly approached India for peace talks fearing international isolation, claims report

A report in The New York Times claimed that Pakistan’s army chief General Bajwa had approached India for peace talks but the response was tepid.

Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Concerned about its growing international isolation, Pakistan’s military, reportedly tried to initiate peace talks with India, before the Imran Khan government came to power. A report in The New York Times claimed that Pakistan’s military chief General Bajwa had approached his Indian counterpart General Bipin Rawat, but the response was rather tepid, the daily reported. According to Western diplomats and a senior Pakistani official, Pakistan’s powerful military had quietly reached out to India about resuming peace talks after it completely got stalled in 2015 as violence flared up in the Kashmir region. As per reports, Pakistan’s approach for peace talks to Indian military did not bring any good because of ‘system mismatch as Pakistan’s military is the strongest body there, but India’s military is rather dependent on the government and cannot approve any talks without government’s approval. Pakistan which is worried about being cornered on the world map and its deteriorating relations with United States took the step months before the general elections. Another objective for Pakistan to reach out to India is to open barriers to trade, which would give the already frayed economy a major respite. The battered economy is seen as a major security threat by its  military as it would increase the risk of insurgencies. Pakistan’s new government which is also allegedly backed by the military of the country, has unequivocally supported talks with India. During his victory address he had said: “I want the relations with India to improve, with it we can also resolve the poverty crisis in South East Asia. If New Delhi moves one step forward, we will move two.”