President Asif Ali Zardari has said the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum (FDPF) would become a more encompassing forum, adding that he is intending to get India and some other regional countries on board in the larger interest of security, stability and prosperity of the region. The President said this during a meeting with German Ambassador Dr Michael Koch who called on him on Friday.
The President expressed profound gratitude for Germany's support at the FDPF, IMF's financial plan for Pakistan and the understanding that German government has displayed towards Pakistan's difficulties.
The President mentioned that opting for the IMF package was extremely difficult decision for the government under the prevailing circumstances. The people of Pakistan have high hopes from the government and needed something tangible for themselves.
The President said that though he inherited the economic problems but these were now his problems and he was fully resolved to solve them. He mentioned that unlike other parties, the Pakistan People's Party was the voice of the voiceless people, which constituted 86 percent of Pakistan's population.
People are in dire need of instant gratification from democracy, which he realises. He also informed about his plan of national reconciliation, which included his interactions with the people of Fata and Balochistan.
They exchanged views on the state of bilateral relations, terrorism and extremism in the region and Pakistan-India relations. In the context of terrorism, the President reminded that the roots of the current situation lay in the efforts of some countries to militarily defeat the Soviet forces in Afghanistan without an exit strategy. He emphatically mentioned that the germs of terrorist elements were not produced in security agencies' labs in Pakistan but they were created overseas and transferred to this region.
On the recent terrorists attacks in Mumbai, the President condemned the incident and informed that he had spoken to Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh over telephone to offer Pakistan's assistance in the investigations. He rejected the claims of Pakistan's involvement in the attacks saying that the democratic government does not believe in such tactics.
The German Ambassador appreciated Pakistan's efforts and sincerity towards normalising relations with India and in this regard referred to the President's courageous interview to the Indian media as well as the mature and constructive statement of the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is in India, in the wake of Mumbai attacks.
The President informed about Pakistan's efforts towards building bridges with Afghanistan and in this regard highlighted his upcoming visit to Afghanistan and visit to Turkey to attend the trilateral Summit.