War against terror: French parliamentarians recognise Pakistan's sacrifices

The visiting French parliamentarians on Tuesday recognised Pakistan's sacrifices in the war against terror and stated that France can take benefit from the vast experience of Pakistan's fight against militancy and also stressed the need for close cooperation in various sectors between the two countries.
Senator Pascal Allizard, head of the visiting French parliamentary delegation, while speaking to reporters, said that Pakistan and France need to cooperate with each other in the fight against terrorism, adding the two countries share a common problem, the issue of terrorism and extremism.
Other members of the delegation included vice-president of the French Senate, Senator Francoise Cartron and member of the social affairs commission Senator Patricia Morhet-Richaud. "I am convinced that France can benefit from Pakistan's experience in the fight against terrorism...there has been an ongoing talks at the state level between the two countries on the subject that started last days", Allizard said, adding the first cooperation the two countries needs to build is the fight against terrorism. He said that terrorism was not acceptable in any country especially when they target the women and children as happened recently in Lahore public park attack.
Allizard, who is chairman of the France - Pakistan Friendship Group, emphasised that it was a need that the two countries should enhance cooperation in all fields including in defence, energy sector, renewable energy, trade and economy, education and health. He said that there was also a need for cooperation in development sector and the facilitation of Pakistanis companies in France and vice versa.
In order to redevelop relations between Pakistan and France, he said that the two countries need to come out of the 'vetted tracks', adding the world is changing and it is multilateral world and there is no more a 'cold war'. "Therefore, we need to adopt the changing trends and put our relations according to the need of the hour", he underscored.
About the problems to investors of the two countries, he further said that the two countries should facilitate each other's investors and remove the problems being faced to them especially related to visas.
"Whoever the investors are, the French or the Pakistanis...there should be some stability in fiscal and administrative rules as far as economy is concerned", he said, adding the investors of any country should given an assurance of the stability of the rules. As far as the administrative problems are concerned, he pointed out that there is a problem of getting visa and it should be made possible to get the visa in whatever sector the investors is needed. "It needs confidence and security", he added.
As far as the banking sector is concerned, he said that in the world economic climate we feel that sometimes the banks are very hesitant, adding whenever a project is being executed by a company of any other country, the French banks are not coming forward to finance that projects.
To a question about close civil nuclear cooperation between France and India while discriminating Pakistan in the same sector, the French senator expressed his inability to comment on the subject, saying he was not authorised to comment on Pakistan - India relations.
However, referring to relations between France and Germany, he pointed out that three wars were fought and millions of people were killed but the two countries realised the gravity of the situation and now both have close cooperation. "At present nothing happens in France without a common agreement between France and Germany...I wish Pakistan's success in having the same type of relations with India", he remarked.
About the increasing Islam phobia in France after the Paris attacks, he realised the fact but stated that it was not the majority's views in France where religion is a private matter of any individual and there is a complete separation of the Church and the State. "The essential thing is that we want freedom to everybody...we should also understand Islam and what the terrorists portray is not Islam", he added. He said that France is secular country and it was the country which gave birth to secularism and majority of the French people are not Islamophobic.
About his delegation's visit to the country, he said that they had very good exchange of views with parliamentarians in whom they stressed the need for further strengthening the cooperation between the two parliaments and the people of both the countries.