Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar said on Wednesday that people of Pakistan are against religious extremism and have supported the government position on the Lal Masjid issue.
He was delivering a keynote address at the first Ministry of Foreign Affairs-International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) dialogue on Pakistan Foreign at the IISS this morning. Pakistan High Commissioner to UK Dr Maleeha Lodhi and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Commission were also present on the occasion.
The minister spoke of Pakistan's critical role in the international campaign against terrorism and said the country is opposed to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Due to our key role, the back of the al Qaeda operatives have been killed or captured by Pakistan while our assistance has been critical in preventing several acts of terrorism in different parts of the world.
Despite the heavy price that we have paid in the war on terror, including terrorist attacks on President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, we remain committed to combating this menace, he said. Bakhtiar said Pakistan believes that terrorism can be eliminated by addressing its root causes pertaining to Palestine, the war in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan.
He said these lingering conflicts promote a sense of justice, anger, frustration and deprivation, which produce the willing recruits for the perpetrators of terror. The state minister added that it is wrong to link terrorism to Islam or any other faith since terrorism knows neither borders nor religions.
It is necessary to recognise that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, which preaches harmony and co-existence. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in the world should not be demonised due to the actions of a few misguided individuals who exist in every society and faith. The recent hostage crisis of Lal Masjid is a case in point.
He spoke of Pakistan geo-strategic perspective and said the country is ideally situated to be a regional anchor for peace and stability and development. He said Pakistan serves as the hub for multiple corridors for cooperation in the energy, trade and transportation sectors and in this regard mentioned ongoing negotiations for oil and gas pipelines from Iran and Turkmenistan to India via Pakistan as well as electricity grids from Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Kazakhstan.
On relations with India, the minister said composite dialogue process has led to reduction of tensions and several confidence building measures. The time has now come to move from the dispute management to dispute resolution while Kashmir dispute remains at the heart of relations with India. He said for a lasting solution, a resolution of this dispute must be based on the wishes and aspiration of the Kashmiri people.
President Musharraf, he pointed out, has suggested several bold ideas as the basis for discussion and to think out of box and it was essential for all parties to show courage, determination and flexibility to resolve this dispute.
On Afghanistan, the minister said Pakistan accords the highest priority to helping promote peace, security and stability as the situation in the land-locked country has been impacting the entire region and his country more than any other of its neighbours.
Pakistan, he added, was still suffering from the consequences of the Soviet Unions occupation of Afghanistan and the subsequent civil war in that country which drove 4 million Afghan refugees into its eastern neighbour. There was also an inflow of terrorism, extremism, weapons and drugs, which severely polluted our society.
Minister Bakhtiar called for a Marshal Plan type approach designed for Afghanistan aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the people. On Iran, he said Pakistan has traditionally maintained close relations based on religious and cultural linkages.
As regards Iranian nuclear program, he said Pakistan believes that its western neighbour has the right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes under appropriate international safeguards.
However, he further said, Pakistan does not support any nuclear weapons proliferation by Iran and this issue must be resolved through dialogue as any resort to force would further destabilise an already difficult regional situation.
With China, the minister said Pakistan's longstanding friendship has now evolved into a strategic partnership and is a major factor for international peace and security. Similarly, he said Pakistan's strategic partnership with the USA is a key factor for global security and stability.
"We are confident that this strategic partnership will continue to grow and attain global footprint." He said Pakistan's relation with Russia was also moving forward and the bilateral trade has touched half a billion dollars a year. The state minister said the relations with UK were excellent and both share a diverse spectrum of interests and aspirations.
He said UK was Pakistan second largest trading partner and added Britain is the only country in the EU with which Pakistan has signed a Managed Immigration Agreement aimed at facilitating travel and legal migration. He said one million people of Pakistan origin in the UK add another important dimension to bilateral relations between the two countries.
He spoke of Pakistan's growing economy whose size has doubled in the last seven years with substantial reduction in poverty and enhancement in employment opportunities. Earlier, Dr Patrick Cronin, Director, IISS, welcomed the minister.
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