War on terror

MUNICH: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said that after Afghanistan, perhaps no country had suffered more in human and material terms than Pakistan.

The minister said this while speaking at the 45th Security Conference in Munich, Germany. “We lost our great leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed to terrorists. Nearly 2,000 Pakistanis lost their lives in more than 600 terror-related incidents last year alone,” he added.

He said Pakistan’s economy had suffered direct and indirect losses of over $35 billion. In October last year, parliament adopted a historic resolution declaring the unswerving commitment of the nation to stand against the threat of terrorism and to address its root causes, he added.

The minister said that this resolution provided a comprehensive framework for a multi-pronged strategy to deal with this serious menace.It also sent an unequivocal message that the Pakistani territory would not be used for carrying out terrorist activities, but the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country must be respected, he said.

“In line with this resolution, we are pursuing a multi-pronged strategy with the support, cooperation and ownership of local population,” he added.The minister called for the international community to adopt a regional, multi-faceted and comprehensive approach focusing on development and social welfare to counter the menace of terrorism and extremism.

He said that only those solutions enjoying the support of regional countries would be sustainable to beat back the threat of terrorism.He said terrorism was a complex problem and emphasis on military dimension had not proved fruitful. For lasting success of any endeavour, people must assume ownership, he said. In the battle for hearts and minds, the power of persuasion must be stronger than the effects of coercion, he added.

An inclusive process must include dialogue and reconciliation, he stressed. The minister underscored the need for a generous focus on reconstruction, development and social welfare with the participation of all the stakeholders.

To attain durable security, he said, the dynamic and logic of development must trump the dynamic and logic of force.The campaign against extremism would not be won in the battlefield but in classrooms and in the minds of the people, he added.

The minister said drug money was a major source of terror-funding and there was a need for addressing this issue in a comprehensive manner. Farmers growing opium would have to be provided alternate opportunities, he added.

Qureshi said there was a need for better coordination of international efforts. “All disconnects and fragmentations, including within the international coalition and Nato, must be addressed,” he said.

The minister said an extensive sensitisation campaign should be launched with the support of local communities to neutralise the impact and influence of militant ideologies and to correct negative perceptions that fuelled extremism.

Any lasting and sustainable solution must respect local customs, traditions, values and religious beliefs, he observed. Qureshi said Afghanistan held a special significance for Pakistan and peace and security of the two countries were interlinked, as what afflicted one invariably impacted the other.

For the last three decades, he said, Pakistan had suffered the gravest fallout of the conflict in Afghanistan and its stakes in peace and stability of Afghanistan were high. “Regrettably, our region has, for far too long, been a victim of history and circumstances,” Qureshi said. The minister said the dawn of democracy in Pakistan had heralded a new era of understanding and cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“With Afghanistan, our democratic government has made a new and promising beginning. This has resulted in restoring trust and confidence, and bringing about a fundamental and qualitative transformation in bilateral ties with Afghanistan in all spheres,” he added.

He said both countries had joined hands to move towards their common vision of peace, prosperity and development for their people and the region.He said that during the visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Kabul last month, he, along with Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta, signed a landmark Declaration on Future Directions of Bilateral Cooperation.

The declaration looked beyond the present phase of terrorism and provided a clear and comprehensive framework to take forward the Pakistan-Afghanistan partnership to higher levels in the political, economic, security and social fields, he said, adding that it was also a manifestation of the aspirations and determination of people of the two countries for a better, peaceful and prosperous tomorrow.

The foreign minister said creating and implementing projects, like the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, would create a stake for the people living along the route.

He said the Jirgagai process, emanating from the Kabul Peace Jirga, had been a great success in bringing together the representative segments of the people of the two countries. He said the Jirgagai meeting held in Islamabad in October last year had made important strides in achieving the dual objectives of promoting dialogue with the opposition and forging a common agenda for development and people-to-people exchange.

Since then, two meetings of the Contact Group of the Jirgagai had held that achieved positive results, he added.The minister said both Pakistan and Afghanistan were resolved to pursuing the Jirgagai process as a useful means for promoting dialogue and development.

He said the Tripartite Military Commission mechanism had proven useful in enhancing coordination, both at the strategic and tactical levels. “However, we remain concerned about financing and arming of militants,” Qureshi said.

He said over three million Afghan refugees, who are still in Pakistan, posed an additional security risk, often providing nurseries and sanctuaries to militants. On the regional plan, he said Pakistan would be hosting the 3rd Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) on April 1-2.

“We are in close contact with Afghan authorities and our international partners to make this conference focused and result-oriented. This event, we hope, will prove to be a milestone in assisting Afghanistan in its development efforts and forging greater regional cooperation,” he added.