December 2020 marks the end of second decade of 21st Century. If one looks back on life in the previous century, the face of 20th Century remained marred with destruction caused by two great World Wars, and hostility endured through decades of the Cold War. As the Cold War ended in early 1990s, there grew hope and optimism about collective world peace and security. In positive anticipation, there remained long moots over Millennium Development Goals and the enhanced role of international institutions to promote trade, address issues like global warming and safeguard universal human values. However, just when the world could move further on these goals, the dawn of 21^st Century posed the challenge of Global War on Terror (GWOT) due to catastrophic attacks of September 11, 2001. The world found itself engaged in a protracted conflict once again.
Pakistan, carved on the world’s map on August 14, 1947 has always played its role in the comity of nations according to the vision of its Founding Father, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. For regional and world peace, our efforts have always been sincere and substantial. Pakistan’s contributions in GWOT have also been acclaimed by all. We suffered enormously at home front, accepted huge human casualties, endured unbearable economic cost, but stood resilient against the forces of terror. We not only succeeded in defeating the forces of terrorism and violent extremism inside our country, but also contributed towards peace in the region and the world. Today’s Pakistan is much more peaceful, confident and determined to reap the fruits of this hard-earned peace. However, the world around us continues to pose new threats and challenges to the goals of a peaceful country, region and the world.
On November 14, 2020 in a joint press conference, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar stunned the world with concrete evidences of India’s involvement in destabilizing Pakistan. Our eastern neighbor has resorted to all methods of terrorism and sabotage including the use of territory of our brotherly Muslim countries on the western border. This is being shared with the world in the form of a dossier which also proves that our claims about the enemy’s terror agenda are based on evidences. A mere glance at the regional landscape is enough to expose the hegemonic designs of India towards its neighboring countries and peoples. India has hit Kashmir, made hostile overtures on the Chinese border, and showed acrimony towards other regional countries in the past. Not restricting to this outward aggression, India has initiated a spree of acts, laws and constitutional amendments that are targeting its own citizens and minorities equally. This is enough to tell the world about the long-term fascist agenda of the Indian government.
Notwithstanding, ironically due to the wrongly construed and propagated notions like ‘world’s largest economic market’ and ‘sole regional competitor of China’, important world powers are still entering into new defense agreements with India. Besides many, the recently concluded Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) that allows sharing of classified geospatial intelligence, critical information and high-end military technology, is one such example. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned against the destabilizing and dangerous outcomes for the region spurred by such accumulation, transfer and trade of military technology and intelligence in its October 27, 2020 statement which reads: “India’s massive acquisition of armaments and expansion of its nuclear forces, including the introduction of new destabilizing weapon systems, are developments with serious repercussions for peace and stability... The military spin-offs of conducting high technology trade with India has not only eroded the international norms but has also resulted in negatively affecting the strategic stability in South Asia.”
Pakistan is not oblivious to threats and challenges to its peace and security. Pakistan Armed forces are fully capable and prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. However, as we are about to enter the third decade of 21^st Century, it is hoped that world’s major powers will side with the forces of peace and understand the implications of alliances and overtures that can be misused or prove counterproductive to the common causes of shared peace and prosperity. Our convergence through agreements and collaboration should be aimed at promoting enduring peace in South Asia than otherwise. The recently concluded joint exercise between troops of Pakistan and Russian Federation is one such shining example which was not aimed against any country but against the common enemy i.e., the forces of terrorism.

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