.Pakistan wants peace in South Asia: FM
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Saturday said the Mumbai attacks were as much a blow to Pakistan as it was for India and regretted the vilification campaign against Pakistan.
In his remarks at the Munich Young Leaders’s round-table on security policy the Foreign Minister said “Unfortunately India has refused to accept our sincere overtures and has started a vilification campaign against Pakistan, not realizing that Mumbai was as much a blow to Pakistan as it was to India.”
In the round-table on the sidelines of Munich Security Dialogue organized by ‘Koerber-Stiftung Foundation’, Qureshi said Pakistan wishes to resolve all differences including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue.
He said democratic governments in Pakistan have always pursued a policy of friendly relations with India, and want to cooperate with New Delhi in rooting out terrorism from the region.
He said India-Pakistan tensions have been a major impediment in the progress and prosperity of the down trodden people of South Asia and pointed that “the belligerent Indian response to the Mumbai terrorist attacks unfortunately threw the Pakistan-India Peace Process back to square one.”
He said this was not only of concern to Pakistan, but of vital importance to the security of the world and must, therefore, be discussed candidly in any forum dealing with global security challenges.
Qureshi said Pakistan severely condemns the terrorist attacks in India and like all responsible members of the international community abhors any incidents involving the killing of innocent civilians.
“We have offered India joint investigations probing the Mumbai attacks, as well as formation of a Joint Commission under the National Security Advisors of both countries.”
The foreign minister Pakistan has also proposed to send a high powered delegation from Pakistan, to establish trust and confidence.
“We have also begun our own investigation of the Mumbai incident and have taken wide ranging measures in closing down the offices of the Jamat-ud-Daawa, arresting their leaders and freezing their assets.”
Foreign minister Qureshi said this investigation can only reach fruition with Indian cooperation.
On the nuclear issue, foreign minister said security and safety of Pakistan’s nuclear assets has been questioned lately amid growing fears of their falling in the wrong hands.
“Let me assure you that despite the threat of extremism and terrorism that I have referred to above, Pakistan’s nuclear assets are under safe custody and control and we have instituted fool proof mechanisms for their control.”
He said the democratic government was geared to meet various challenges including security situation in Afghanistan, extremism and terrorism, relations with India, weakening of State and democratic institutions, ailing economy and issue of nuclear proliferation.
Qureshi said stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan, adding that insurgency in Afghanistan could be controlled through a sustained and long term strategy with the cooperation of all countries in the region.
He said there should be equal emphasis on political and developmental surge, as compared to the West’s thinking for a military surge in Afghanistan.
He stressed the need for bringing Afghan people at one platform and for the Afghan Government to assume greater responsibilities in terms of security, development and political dialogue.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan had an unflinching stance on terrorism and extremism despite the heavy cost it was paying in terms of loss of civilian and military lives and the setback to economy.
“We will not allow our territory to be used in furtherance of terrorism and we will not be daunted by the terrorists’ threats,” he said.
He said Pakistan had adopted a comprehensive multi-pronged strategy to deal with terrorism which had political and popular ownership.
He said international community would not be able to control its spread to other regions of the world, until the problem of terrorism was tackled by eliminating poverty and economic deprivation.
Qureshi stressed the need for initiating programmes for the economic uplift of Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan.
“Under no circumstances should our sovereignty be violated and the Pak-Afghan border must be kept sacrosanct,” he said.
Expressing his views on democracy, Qureshi said unfortunately, democracy has had a checkered growth in Pakistan’s short history.
and the process was disrupted by martial laws and dictatorial regimes, weakening democratic institutions and adversely affecting the country’s progress and sustained economic development.
Foreign Minister said Pakistan’s People Party has been in the forefront of the struggle to nurture and strengthen democracy in Pakistan and has made unmatched sacrifices in attaining this goal.
“Many of our leaders were incarcerated in this noble struggle . We are determined to build resilient and sustainable democratic institutions in Pakistan. We are firmly committed to this goal in order to ensure Pakistan’s march towards progress and prosperity,”
The Foreign Minister said the government has put into place long term measures to improve the law and order situation, provide speedy justice, give protection for civil and human rights and to make Government transparent and accountable.
On country’s economy, he said the People’s Party government inherited a weak and faltering economy.
Severe food and energy shortages, spiraling inflation, rising fiscal and current account deficits, declining foreign exchange reserves, high subsidies, growing poverty and unemployment and meager allocations for the social sectors were the order of the day.
The global financial crisis further accentuated our difficulties.
He said the government has embarked upon wide ranging reforms to stem the rot. The agriculture sector the mainstay of the economy has been accorded priority so that we become self sufficient in food production.
About the energy shortages he said these were being addressed by offering renewed incentives to local as well as foreign investors in the exploration of oil and gas and the exploitation of our substantial coal reserves and hydel potential.
The gas pipeline project with Iran was also being fast tracked, he added.
The foreign minister said the government has successfully negotiated a financial stabilization package with the IMF to tide over the present economic crunch.
“We have instituted the ‘Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum’, to open up new vistas of economic cooperation and investments in Pakistan. “
He said Pakistan has huge economic potential with the fifth largest coal reserves in the world and over 30,000 MW of hydel potential in the run of the river projects alone.
Pakistan, the foreign minister said, can also act as a hub, linking Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. We can also act as a conduit for massive energy flow from Central Asia.
“The possibilities are endless and we look forward to investments in infrastructure programmes from abroad.”
“We strongly believe that the people of Pakistan and the region, deserves a far better future.”
Geo TV
As if they had a say in the matter.
In his remarks at the Munich Young Leaders’s round-table on security policy the Foreign Minister said “Unfortunately India has refused to accept our sincere overtures and has started a vilification campaign against Pakistan, not realizing that Mumbai was as much a blow to Pakistan as it was to India.”
In the round-table on the sidelines of Munich Security Dialogue organized by ‘Koerber-Stiftung Foundation’, Qureshi said Pakistan wishes to resolve all differences including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue.
He said democratic governments in Pakistan have always pursued a policy of friendly relations with India, and want to cooperate with New Delhi in rooting out terrorism from the region.
He said India-Pakistan tensions have been a major impediment in the progress and prosperity of the down trodden people of South Asia and pointed that “the belligerent Indian response to the Mumbai terrorist attacks unfortunately threw the Pakistan-India Peace Process back to square one.”
He said this was not only of concern to Pakistan, but of vital importance to the security of the world and must, therefore, be discussed candidly in any forum dealing with global security challenges.
Qureshi said Pakistan severely condemns the terrorist attacks in India and like all responsible members of the international community abhors any incidents involving the killing of innocent civilians.
“We have offered India joint investigations probing the Mumbai attacks, as well as formation of a Joint Commission under the National Security Advisors of both countries.”
The foreign minister Pakistan has also proposed to send a high powered delegation from Pakistan, to establish trust and confidence.
“We have also begun our own investigation of the Mumbai incident and have taken wide ranging measures in closing down the offices of the Jamat-ud-Daawa, arresting their leaders and freezing their assets.”
Foreign minister Qureshi said this investigation can only reach fruition with Indian cooperation.
On the nuclear issue, foreign minister said security and safety of Pakistan’s nuclear assets has been questioned lately amid growing fears of their falling in the wrong hands.
“Let me assure you that despite the threat of extremism and terrorism that I have referred to above, Pakistan’s nuclear assets are under safe custody and control and we have instituted fool proof mechanisms for their control.”
He said the democratic government was geared to meet various challenges including security situation in Afghanistan, extremism and terrorism, relations with India, weakening of State and democratic institutions, ailing economy and issue of nuclear proliferation.
Qureshi said stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan, adding that insurgency in Afghanistan could be controlled through a sustained and long term strategy with the cooperation of all countries in the region.
He said there should be equal emphasis on political and developmental surge, as compared to the West’s thinking for a military surge in Afghanistan.
He stressed the need for bringing Afghan people at one platform and for the Afghan Government to assume greater responsibilities in terms of security, development and political dialogue.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan had an unflinching stance on terrorism and extremism despite the heavy cost it was paying in terms of loss of civilian and military lives and the setback to economy.
“We will not allow our territory to be used in furtherance of terrorism and we will not be daunted by the terrorists’ threats,” he said.
He said Pakistan had adopted a comprehensive multi-pronged strategy to deal with terrorism which had political and popular ownership.
He said international community would not be able to control its spread to other regions of the world, until the problem of terrorism was tackled by eliminating poverty and economic deprivation.
Qureshi stressed the need for initiating programmes for the economic uplift of Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan.
“Under no circumstances should our sovereignty be violated and the Pak-Afghan border must be kept sacrosanct,” he said.
Expressing his views on democracy, Qureshi said unfortunately, democracy has had a checkered growth in Pakistan’s short history.
and the process was disrupted by martial laws and dictatorial regimes, weakening democratic institutions and adversely affecting the country’s progress and sustained economic development.
Foreign Minister said Pakistan’s People Party has been in the forefront of the struggle to nurture and strengthen democracy in Pakistan and has made unmatched sacrifices in attaining this goal.
“Many of our leaders were incarcerated in this noble struggle . We are determined to build resilient and sustainable democratic institutions in Pakistan. We are firmly committed to this goal in order to ensure Pakistan’s march towards progress and prosperity,”
The Foreign Minister said the government has put into place long term measures to improve the law and order situation, provide speedy justice, give protection for civil and human rights and to make Government transparent and accountable.
On country’s economy, he said the People’s Party government inherited a weak and faltering economy.
Severe food and energy shortages, spiraling inflation, rising fiscal and current account deficits, declining foreign exchange reserves, high subsidies, growing poverty and unemployment and meager allocations for the social sectors were the order of the day.
The global financial crisis further accentuated our difficulties.
He said the government has embarked upon wide ranging reforms to stem the rot. The agriculture sector the mainstay of the economy has been accorded priority so that we become self sufficient in food production.
About the energy shortages he said these were being addressed by offering renewed incentives to local as well as foreign investors in the exploration of oil and gas and the exploitation of our substantial coal reserves and hydel potential.
The gas pipeline project with Iran was also being fast tracked, he added.
The foreign minister said the government has successfully negotiated a financial stabilization package with the IMF to tide over the present economic crunch.
“We have instituted the ‘Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum’, to open up new vistas of economic cooperation and investments in Pakistan. “
He said Pakistan has huge economic potential with the fifth largest coal reserves in the world and over 30,000 MW of hydel potential in the run of the river projects alone.
Pakistan, the foreign minister said, can also act as a hub, linking Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. We can also act as a conduit for massive energy flow from Central Asia.
“The possibilities are endless and we look forward to investments in infrastructure programmes from abroad.”
“We strongly believe that the people of Pakistan and the region, deserves a far better future.”
Geo TV
As if they had a say in the matter.
posted by madtom at 8:50 PM
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