The situation along the Line of Control (LOC) between Pakistan and India is “satisfactory and fairly peaceful,” Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javad Bajwa said on Saturday, adding that the accidental missile launch by India remains an issue of “serious concern”. He also expressed “great concern” over the India-China border tensions. 

The remark came on Saturday during his speech on the second day of the Islamabad Security Dialogue. He said, “Mercifully, we haven’t seen any major incident along the Line of Control since last year.” The situation, he said, has helped people living on both sides of the border.

On his country's issues with India, Gen Bajwa said, “Pakistan continues to believe in dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir issue, and is ready to move forward on this front if India also agrees to do so.”

"Our doors are open for all our neighbors," Gen Bajwa said for achieving shared regional peace and prosperity. 

After years of hostility along the Line of Control, the two armies issued a joint statement in February last year, reiterating their commitment to upholding the 2003 ceasefire agreement. Despite no progress in overall bilateral ties, the two militaries have largely observed the ceasefire. 

Gen Bajwa also said India’s supersonic missile launch into Pakistan was a matter of “serious concern.” Pakistan, he said, remains concerned about the safety and security of high-tech strategic weapons in India. 

For the first time, the Pakistan Army Chief spoke about the India-China border standoff. 

“The India-China border dispute is also a matter of a “great concern” for us,” he said, adding that they wanted it to be settled quickly through dialogue and diplomacy.  

Batting for regional peace and stability, Gen Bajwa said, “It is time for the critical leadership of the region to rise above their emotional and perceptional biases, and break the shackles of history to bring peace and prosperity to almost three billion people of the region.” 

He also said for shared regional peace and prosperity, “our doors are open for all our neighbors.” 

On Afghanistan, he said, the performance of the interim Afghan government has been less than satisfactory. However, he was for incentivizing them [the Taliban] for positive behavior changes. The international community, he said, needs to be “patient” and “accommodative.”  

"Pakistan believes disengagement isn’t an option,” Gen Bajwa said, warning that the crisis, if left unaddressed, will lead to another 9/11. 

“The consequences of our inability to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan not only lead to a refugee crisis but will again make Afghanistan an epicenter of terrorism, where Daish (ISIS) with its global agenda flourishes, which may result in one more 9/11,” General Bajwa said. 
 
(SAM)