ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a conference have said conflict resolution in South Asia seemed to be not possible considering the current trajectory of bilateral relations between Pakistan and India.
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) organized its three-day Annual Humanities and Social Sciences Conference titled Pakistan at Seventy: The Long View, a press release issued here on Monday said.
The speakers said it was difficult for the region to achieve peace in the prevailing situation.
One of the sessions held on the last day of the conference discussed National Security and Foreign Relations.
The session was chaired by Ambassador (R) Shahryar Khan and moderated by Ahmed Rashid. The speakers of this session included Brig (R) Feroz Hassan Khan, Dr Moeed Yusuf, and Colin Cookman.
Feroz Khan argued that states continued to invest in technologies without realizing that it might lead to catastrophes.
He said the character of warfare in 21st Century was changing because of the four interrelated factors including the role of non-state actors, hybrid warfare, changing naval warfare whereby states had been attempting to place sea-based deterrent on conventional submarines and increasing urbanization and development of mega cities that were likely to become target of warfare.
He said Pakistan had now developed sea-based nuclear deterrent. It would need to develop intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies and command and control related capabilities at sea. Eventually, Pakistan would have to step into the domains of space and cyber defence.
Pakistan, he said, was soon to face the challenges of creating balance in its current strategy and emerging challenges.
Dr Moeed Yusuf said any state that reached an agreement related to co-existence with India - on the terms that it accepts India as a big brother - would have peace.
There has been strategic tussle where India is trying to be a sole hub and Pakistan desires to be a parallel hub in South Asia, he added.
He said under the prevailing situation, India would like to economically grow, enhance defence expenditures and forge new alliances in the shape of US and so on.
He said China would remain Pakistan's principle ally.
For optimization of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, Pakistan needed to develop good relations with Iran, Afghanistan, and even with India if it was required. (APP)