India has to take due notice of the fact that during the visit of Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to meet Saudi ruler Prince Mohammad bin Salman, their joint statement issued at Mecca on April 7 last, stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve their outstanding issues especially the J&K dispute ‘to ensure peace and stability in the region’.

Also, on the recent visit of Iran’s President to Islamabad, a more elaborate joint statement issued on the occasion expressed that there was a need to resolve the issue of Kashmir through dialogue and peaceful means “based on the will of the people of that region and in accordance with international law”.

India should have no difficulty in reminding the world that Pakistan continued to harbor terrorists who attacked India, on its soil and reiterating that ‘talks and terrorism could not go together’. It can be seen, however, that Pakistan always tried to get traction in the Islamic world by projecting Kashmir as a Muslim issue.

India’s foreign policy of opting for bilateral or even multilateral friendships that were mutually beneficial for both security and economic development and that served the cause of world peace fits in well in the current geopolitics where ideological and religion-based divisions were producing new alignments and uncertainties.

The natural friendship between the US and India -- the two largest democracies, has to be kept on a strong footing particularly because of the complete convergence the two countries had on the threat from China. The US proclivity to uphold the cause of Pakistan as a potential ally makes it incumbent for India to reach a deep understanding with Russia and the Central Asian Republics on the danger of ‘radicalization’ that was getting a fillip because of the duplicitous role of Pakistan in sustaining the Islamic radical outfits on its soil.

India has to independently counter the threat of minority separatism encouraged by anti-India lobbies and safeguard its internal security. India is doing well in pursuing technological advancement for economic development as well as defence and this should continue to be the raison d’être of its bilateral friendships. All this goes with an assertive role that India as a world power must play on issues of global peace and human advancement. It should also be upfront about countering any outside interference in the domestic matters of democratic India.

(The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau)