Energy, food crisis, terrorism: Qureshi briefs envoys about government efforts

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is in the United States to muster support for an international probe into Benazir Bhutto assassination case, on Friday met the permanent representatives to the United Nations, Foreign Office sources said. Qureshi shed light on international level involvement with evidence as far as Benazir Bhutto's murder was concerned, they added.
Apart from other issues, agenda of the new government on energy and food crisis was also dwelt at length during these meetings with the representatives of China, France, Russian, United Kingdom and USA, said the sources. Fuel prices are on steep rise throughout the world, therefore, it is of utmost importance to find cheap use of alternate sources of energy along with investment in oil and gas exploration.
Recent concern about crude oil and gasoline prices underscores the link between energy and the economy. The sources said most of the countries agreed that sustaining even modest economic growth world-wide for the next several decades would require massive new investments in oil and natural gas. They said that food shortage was also becoming a global phenomenon as most of the agrarian economies were diverting towards bio fuel.
Developing and under-developed countries were more affected by the food inflation and urgent steps were required attract investment in agriculture sector by these countries, the sources added.
A broad-based and comprehensive three-pronged strategy was being adopted by Pakistan to fight terrorism and extremism in the tribal areas of NWFP and Balochistan, bordering Afghanistan, the sources said, and quoted Qureshi as saying that Pakistan primary objective was to root out the menace through dialogue and by initiating infrastructure and socio-economic development projects in the troubled areas.
According to the sources, the permanent representative of the United Nations assured full support to the efforts made by Pakistan in this regard. They said the foreign minister also met the permanent representative of several important Islamic countries to have their full backing in initiating an early probe in the assassination case of Benazir Bhutto.