ISLAMABAD (National Times) – Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday has said we need to put human security at the center of national security strategies as a departure from security-centric polices to move the region towards development and prosperity.

Addressing inaugural session of Islamabad Conclave 2021 at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), he said Pakistan has shifted its focus to geo-economics. He said connectivity is the new buzz word and it can provide us enormous opportunities for national and regional development.

The foreign minister said regional cooperation is a must for South Asia to prosper. He said SAARC needs to be revitalized by freeing it from narrow political agendas.

He said Pakistan has decided not to be a part of any global or regional conflict, and has chosen to be a partner only in peace and development. He said our primary interest is in seeking a peaceful and stable international order that takes everyone on board.

The minister said Jammu and Kashmir is one of the oldest disputes on the United Nations agenda that still awaits resolution according to the wishes of the brave people of Kashmir.

He said the dispute can conflagrate into a nuclear flashpoint to the detriment of regional and global security.