MM News

DAVOS: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar has said that Pakistan does not see a “partner” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi for working towards peace between the two countries, but it saw a partner in his predecessors Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Speaking at a session on South Asia in Davos at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023, she said “when I went to India as Foreign Minister, I had worked really hard to press for better cooperation and we were in a much better position at that time compared to the situation in 2023.”

She said Pakistan has been asked by the Indian Prime Minister to work towards peace between the two countries. Narendra Modi does not see a participant in him, but it did see a participant in his predecessors Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, adding that Pakistan learnt lessons from the past and wanted to move forward but felt that India was always a country where all religions co-existed but now it was not so.

Hina Rabbani Khar said, “I am not saying that we do not have any problem in Pakistan, but our government is always working to ensure that minorities are protected by implementing new laws and existing laws.”

On the Chinese position, Ms. Khar said China is seen as more like a pillar of stability than of chaos in the region except for in India.

“I truly believe that if both countries have got statesmen at the same time and not leaders interested only in elections, there is no problem that cannot be solved,” she said.