Pakistan calls for peace, urges against confrontation, conflict in South Asia

Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said at an event in Islamabad that the Cold War had largely ignored South Asia, leaving the region with few peace dividends and forcing its nations to "think really hard" about their futures.

“Are we doomed to remain mired in confrontation and conflict while other regions progress and prosper? The answer should be an emphatic ‘No,’” he said.

Without naming anyone, Dar stressed that the region must overcome zero-sum mindsets and foster an environment of dialogue, peaceful coexistence, economic interdependence, and win-win cooperation.

"It is equally essential to build an edifice grounded firmly in the principles of open and inclusive regionalism," he said.

Pakistan’s top diplomat said that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remained his country’s preferred platform for regional cooperation and called for the removal of “artificial obstacles” preventing the organization from functioning effectively.

By embracing cooperation and choosing dialogue over confrontation, he hoped that the region would be able to achieve the levels of integration and growth seen in other regions.