President Asif Ali Zardari while expressing concern over the ongoing political unrest in some countries of the Gulf region has ruled out the possibility of any such situation emerging in Pakistan.
"I don't think such political unrest can reach Pakistan, as it is a different country that has a strong parliament and a stable democracy", the President said in an interview with Al-Arabia news channel. "There is no comparison of Pakistan and the situation in that region", President Zardari said and maintained that Pakistan was created through a democratic mythology under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The President, however, added that Pakistan was obviously concerned about the situation in Gulf countries and the instability in the region, which used to be a very stable and secure region.
The President was of the view that the path of reconciliation should be adopted to resolve issues. He recalled that her wife (Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto) in her last book had also talked about reconciliation in the Muslim World.
"So I think confrontation is not the answer, reconciliation is the answer. We feel concerned, we support the system as it is and we want to help, if we can", he remarked. "In the present scenario in Bahrain, there should be a kind of understanding..., people should not be provoked into any action," the President said, pointing out that Pakistan respects the GCC decision to dispatch troops to quell the unrest in Bahrain.
He added that it is a regional issue and not an international one, noting that international issues usually take very long time to be settled. To a question about drone attacks, the President said Pakistan was negotiating with the Americans to get the drone technology, so that it could use the drones on its own.
About the US and Nato campaign in Afghanistan, the President referred to the UN resolution for action in Afghanistan, adding, but sometimes they cross over to our border, because the border is much undefined.
To another question, the President said there are various causes of terrorism including poverty, adding, but mainly it is the war of mind-set. "I always say it is the war of mind-set. So with the mind-set, everything makes a difference", he remarked.
Military operation in North Waziristan, the President said Pakistani troops are already there, looking after our territory, and engaging as much as they can. "We cannot stretch too thin and too far", he remarked.
To a question about Pak-India relations, the President said Pakistan was hoping to engage India into dialogue and "We hope India will respond as a largest democracy of the world."
"Dialogue is always the right direction. Whether it starts late or early, dialogue is always the right direction", he remarked.
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