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Khar: Pak military’s intentions towards India overrated

Islamabad, August 17
Claiming that army does not run Pakistan’s foreign policy, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said the military’s intentions towards India have been “overrated” and there is a need to break away from this perception.

“We sometimes overrate the role of the military and overrate their intentions especially when it comes to India... Let’s not be burdened by our history. Let’s move forward. I think Pakistan has learnt its lessons,” said 34-year-old Khar, Foreign Minister of the country.

Khar made the remarks during an interview with Newsweek magazine’s Pakistan edition when she was asked about the role of the Pakistan army and the ISI’s historical ties with militant groups, especially those fighting in Jammu and Kashmir. She contended that Pakistan's foreign policy was not directed by the army, which was one of the institutions "taken on board" while making decisions on key issues.

"The army does not run our foreign policy," she said. "They (the army) are important stakeholders and not an outside force, so we should stop viewing them as such. After all the institutions are taken on board, a view emerges, and that is the government's view, which is Pakistan's view," she said.

Referring to her visit to New Delhi last month for talks with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna, Khar said: “The dialogue process with India should be uninterrupted, and the environment we found there was exceptionally healthy. That to me was the biggest confidence-building measure." Khar was not pleased with the media's focus on her fashionable clothes and accessories during her visit. However, she contended she had achieved the objectives of her visit.

This included a commitment toward facilitating greater trade and travel between the two parts of Kashmir and keeping the talks going. — PTI