'We want to promote trade ties with India and China': Zardari offers India to sign nuclear-free South Asia pact

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday offered India to sign nuclear-free South Asia treaty to remove the 'Sword of Damocles' hanging over the entire region saying that Pakistan was against use of nuclear weapons and India should also come forward to sign the treaty.
"I was against the nuclear warfare and don't appreciate it as we don't want to get into that position where we use nuclear weapons," he said in his video conference address to the Leadership Conference organised by Indian daily Hindustan Times at New Delhi.
Zardari said that Pakistan always advocated signing of nuclear-free South Asia treaty to give people of this region a complete peace of mind and sense of security. To a question, Zardari said he was sure that he can get parliament support on the nuclear free pact. He asked the audience whether India too can move forward in this direction?
He said despite differences, Pakistan and India have a great future together and no country should feel threatened from the other. "We have to take Pak-India relationship to a new level, where we can ensure a better future for our people," he added.
"I do not feel threatened by India and India should not feel threatened from us, he said, adding that the two countries should now learn to live with peace and enhance co-operation in trade, economy and other sectors. "We believe in trade not aid. We want to promote trade relations with our strong neighbours China and India," Zardari said.
Both Pakistan and India can together become trading powers like Europe and could also work together on the economic front, he said, adding that the two countries have huge potential in trade and economy and once it was utilised it will benefit both the countries and take them towards new heights. "In spite of our disputes, tussle and tension, we have a great future together," he maintained.
He said he would admit that the two countries have challenges but stressed that there was need for exploring the opportunities that exist between the two countries. Today we have a parliament which is already pre-agreed upon a friendly relationship with India, Zardari added.
Responding to a question regarding terrorism and extremism, he said he himself was a victim of terrorism as he lost his wife (Benazir Bhutto) at the hands of terrorists. "We are facing the challenge of terrorism and extremism and I am sure that with the help of the world we will get rid of this menace," he said.
The President said both Pakistan and India were facing more challenges from inside than outside and if both countries join hands these challenges will prove little. "In every Pakistani there is little Indian and in every Indian there is a little Pakistani," Zardari said.
To a question, Zardari said the bilateral ties remained strained during the cold war, but he hoped that the people of the two countries could now move together for a bright future. To another question regarding his offer to former President Pervez Musharraf to join the government, Zardari said: "It is the parliament which can decide."
In response to another question about the country's current economic situation and his plans to improve it, he said he wished to bring out the real strength of Pakistan. He said Pakistan also wants to explore India's huge market of over one billion people and another 1.2 billion in China, and take advantage of the region and take my country's development forward.
President Zardari said he has brought a message of peace and love from Pakistan, as he was also the bearer of the legacy of late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Bhutto was the architect of the first Pakistan-India treaty - the Simla agreement, he said, adding that he also mentioned the treaty signed between late Benazir Bhutto and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Zardari stressed the need to change the current Pakistan-India mindset which has kept the two nations away from each other. When asked about joint Pakistan-India operation to fight sea-piracy, he said that if he was invited he will definitely join it and do whatever he and his country can.
He urged people of India and Pakistan to initiate a dialogue for resolving the long-standing issue of Kashmir. He said after the dialogue between the two people, the politicians should suggest a solution which can render justice to the people of Kashmir. Asked about the long delay in getting a visa, he proposed adopting a methodology that uses an e-card instead of a passport, to ease the way the two people cross into each other's territory.
He said he looked forward to interacting with US President-elect Barack Obama to discuss entire bilateral issues and not just terrorism. Asked whether he missed his late wife, Zardari said: "spiritually I feel her with me all the time. She is guiding us, not just me, but all the political forces in the country."