Pakistan needs to mend its relationship with India, says Pakistani-American businessman

Washington: The leadership of Pakistan needs to get rid of the fear that they would lose their political equity and goodwill if they improve ties with India, a prominent Pakistani-American businessman has said as he advocated for better bilateral ties.

“The ball is in Pakistan's court to (build trust with India. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a very strong leader," Sajid Tarar, also a strong pro-Trump Republican Party leader told PTI in an interview.

"In the past, he (Modi took a big political risk to travel to Pakistan when he travelled to the home of (the then prime minister) Nawaz Sharif. It was a very bold step taken by him and he's a very strong leader. I'm a big fan of his,” Tarar said.

Tarar, also the founder of American Muslims for Trump organisation, said that "the leadership of Pakistan needs to get rid of the fear that they would lose their political equity and goodwill if they improve ties with India."

“I have travelled to India many times. I have a strong bondage with it. Strong relationship with India. …There is so much love and so much bondage. We have been living in this sub-continent together for centuries,” he said.

He said Pakistan's leadership to take some bold steps and work towards increasing trade and tourism with India.

“Trade with India is a matter of survival for Pakistan. The leadership needs to take bold steps in the national interest," Tarar said.

Pakistan, he noted, is currently in isolation. Pakistan needs to improve its ties with India, Afghanistan and Iran as well. “It needs to balance its ties with China,” he said.

In addition to an increase in trade, there is a great scope for building relationships in the fields of education, health and tourism, he said.

“We need to take baby steps to build trust between the two countries. Pakistan needs to take India into confidence in its major areas of concern about cross-border terrorism," he said.

India today is not only a regional power but has risen as a superpower, he said.

"I expect that India will make moves at the same time for the betterment of the relationship and the region,” he said.

Responding to a question, Tarar said it has been a rough journey for Pakistan for approximately a year now.

He was referring to the political instability and the economic crisis in the country.

"Political instability is there. After (former premier) Imran Khan, the military chief has taken some concrete steps towards improving the economy, in particular foreign reserves. I think now we have come out of the grey areas and if the same policies continue, Pakistan will be fine within a year or a year and a half," Tarar said.

On the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, he said: “Unfortunately Pakistanis don't have that much experience of politics and democracy like India."