Pakistan under the democratically leadership is poised to fight terrorism more effectively with the support of people, Islamabad's envoy to Washington, Husain Haqqani said as he listed a host of positives for the country's anti-terror efforts in the wake of Pervez Musharraf's departure from presidency.
At the same time, he argued strongly at a Washington think tank that only co-operative efforts by anti-terrorism allies can ensure security along Pak-Afghan border and that any unilateral strikes into Pakistan have been counter-productive. Haqqani said the former president's exit "is not anybody's loss, it is actually an opportunity for Pakistan to build a democratic political system."
Stressing on the efficacy of efforts against extremism under the elected government, Haqqani in the first place saw a coming change in the public attitude towards the US as previously everybody who disliked President Musharraf ended up disliking the United States. "The kicking of America as an extension of kicking of Musharraf is not going to take place now. That's going to change," he remarked at the New America Foundation.
Secondly, he said there will be a lot more vigor in the strategic planning in fighting terrorism, which the top PPP leadership is very clearly committed to by conviction as they lost former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to the menace. "They realise that terrorism threatens Pakistan's own cities and Pakistan's own population. More Pakistanis have been killed by terrorists in the last several years than Americans have been killed by terrorists. So there is a will to fight terrorists."
Besides, he said there will be no need for political manipulation of the war on terror because the government does not need the war on terror to justify itself. "The war on terror is no longer an instrument of legitimacy of the government that it was in the previous regime. And I think that that change will manifest itself." Haqqani cited the country's firm actions against militants in Bajaur and Khyber tribal areas.
He emphasised the elected Pakistani government is going to have a lot more national pride and stands for sovereignty of the country as it works with the US and other allies in combating terrorism. The elected leadership, he said, is for a co-operative relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The United States, Nato, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are working out a co-operative strategy to move forward effectively, he added.
"And unless Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nato and the United States have a co-operative strategy, don't think that that border can be brought under control and the hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban on both sides of the border can take place. "The people have said in this town many times that Pakistan needs to do more. It's become a bit of a cliche.
My response is that everyone needs to do more-the United States, Nato, Afghanistan, and of course Pakistan intends to do more and will continue to do, continue to lift its share of the weight. But this has to be a co-operative effort. "This has to be a collective effort." In answering a question, he categorically stated that there is no evidence of any Pakistani involvement or role in the Indian embassy bombing in Kabul.
He ruled out handing over Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr A Q Khan to any foreign country, "for the simple reason that no country hands over its nuclear scientists to another country for interrogation." "His network has been broken. All those activities of proliferation have come to an end. The US government has testified to it itself," he added.