Press Release – “Islamabad Conclave 2021” Inaugural Plenary

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Press Release
“Islamabad Conclave 2021”
Inaugural Plenary

Kashmir has kept the peace of South Asia hostage… We hope for India to have such a government that can resolve the conflict through logic and sanity. It is the only problem between India and Pakistan. Till last minute, Pakistan will try to resolve the conflict through dialogue,” stated the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr Imran Khan in his inaugural address at the first-ever mega-event by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), “Islamabad Conclave-2021.”    

While speaking at the occasion, the Prime Minister stated that Pakistan’s peace overtures towards India have been considered a weakness by the Modi government. He went on to say that dialogue is the best solution for conflict resolution. He was of the view that the RSS and the Hindutva ideology is a tragedy for the Indians themselves and this has led to unprecedented marginalisation in the country. He highlighted that regional connectivity is important and without peace in Afghanistan, this cannot materialise. He termed the CPEC a great opportunity for Pakistan and reiterated that Pakistan does not want to be a part of any bloc as the new Cold War has been intensifying between major powers. He emphasised the need for peace in Afghanistan and the urgent need for humanitarian aid for the Afghan people. Talking about the challenges of Climate Change, he stated that Pakistan has undertaken great initiatives in this regard and is one of the vulnerable countries in this respect. He commended the effort made by the ISSI in promoting intellectual activities like the Islamabad Conclave 2021.

Mr Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, and Patron of the Institute commended the effort of the Institute for this initiative. He shed light on the global and regional landscape and outlined Pakistan’s vision for peace. He went on to say that we are witnessing a pivotal moment in history, as the world and international order is undergoing a profound transformation. Foreign Minister further explained that Globalisation and multilateralism have been undercut by unilateralism and there is a return to nationalistic agendas. The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan poses the threat of transforming into a nuclear flashpoint, he said.

Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI, in his introductory remarks gave a briefing about the working of the Institute and the ambit of its activities. He highlighted the Institute’s effort regarding the dissemination of Pakistan’s narrative and the efforts towards bridging the gap between policymakers and academics. While highlighting the theme of the Islamabad Conclave, “A Peaceful and Prosperous South Asia,” Ambassador Chaudhry outlined the objectives of the Islamabad Conclave especially, for narrative building, global engagement, bridging the gaps and tripod security paradigm.