'Pak-India can't share good relations until its army stops interfering in politics'

Pakistan and India cannot share good relations until the Pakistan Army stops interfering in Islamabad's foreign policies and political matters, a Washington-based activist said on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Free Karachi Campaign and former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) convener Nadeem Nusrat said: "The Pakistan Army's existence is based on continuous hostility with India and it will be difficult for the army to justify its existence, once the equation between the two nations changes."

"Interference of the army is the reason Pakistan can't enjoy good relations with India," Nusrat told ANI.

According to him, the Pakistan Army has radicalised in the last few decades and has been supporting jihadist groups, which are being used against ethnic minorities.

The activist said policies of a nation are made by the government and not by the military, but the opposite was happening in Pakistan.

"What has been happening in Pakistan is that minorities are suffering whether ethnic or religious ones. I give you an example of Karachi which generates 70 percent revenue for the country, but it is hard to find any Karachi based individual in the provision's police or army forces," Nusrat said.

He said that a positive change in Pakistan cannot take place until the whole system changes in the country.

On the occasion of Pakistan's Foundation Day, which is celebrated on March 23, the activist said: "The resolution that led to the creation of the Islamic nation in 1942 mentioned that states be created in India, but a state Pakistan was rather carved out."

He said they did not realize that Pakistan was not a homogenous and unified country but bitterly fragmented on ethnic line.

"It has many ethnic groups which are denied its rights. Bengalis suffered in Pakistan until 1971 and later formed another country. Today, Baloch, Sindhi, Pashto, and many other communities continue to suffer in Pakistan."

The former convener of MQM party said that not only the Constitution of Pakistan needed to be changed but the country needed to be re-designed geographically.

"If there are autonomous regions and loose confederations then Pakistan can come out as a prosperous country," Nusrat opined.

Talking about the country's relations with its neighbours, Nusrat said it was extremely important that Pakistan had good relations with its neighbours. "We cannot change our neighbours but live with them, especially India, Iran and Afghanistan."

He said the culture and language of India and Pakistan were very much similar even after 70 years of Independence, and that same was the case with Afghanistan.

"It is important to cement relations with these countries. Pakistan does not need weapons, bombs, and war but education, infrastructure, good future and employment."

According to the activist, the judiciary has miserably failed in Pakistan because the country was created with a very strong army, which thought politicians and judiciary could not work independently and needed to be dictated.

"Judiciary, politics, and military need to work within their boundaries. Till the time Pakistan has a disproportionate army, the dream of Pakistan becoming a prosperous country cannot be achieved," the activist asserted.