SLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari’s first press conference as President of Pakistan was notable not so much for what he said, because he barely made any substantive comments, as for the positive Pakistan-Afghanistan atmospherics that came with the presence of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
India hardly appeared on the radar of the new President as questions flew on Pakistan’s role in the war on terror and on its problematic relationship with its other neighbour, Afghanistan. That Mr. Karzai was the only foreign head of state invited to Mr. Zardari’s swearing in was indication enough of the President’s immediate priorities.
Unlike Mr. Karzai’s tension-ridden appearances with the former President, Pervez Musharraf, he and Mr. Zardari appeared comfortable in each other’s presence as they walked in together for a press conference.
“I found in President Zardari a goodwill and a vision not only for the two countries but for the region, that I have seen for the first time I have seen in the leadership of the region, and that gives me a lot of hope,” said Mr. Karzai.
He said in his talks with Mr. Zardari and with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday, he found “the government of Pakistan, in the form of the President and Prime Minister well-intentioned towards the region and with an immense will to bring prosperity to the people of Pakistan”, which, he said, was only possible “if we defeat terrorism”. “The feelings of Afghanistan for Pakistan go beyond the complaints that we have,” said Mr. Karzai, when asked about his accusations that Pakistan was providing assistance to the Taliban to launch cross-border attacks.
But he was also clear that to root out terrorism, “sanctuaries” on both sides of the border had to be targeted. He denied indulging in a “blame-game”, and said he was pointing a finger at “facts”.
“The fact [is] that Pakistan is suffering as much as Afghanistan is suffering. Today I see in the President and in the Prime Minister exactly [have] same viewpoints as I have and exactly the same background of suffering that we have in Afghanistan,” said Mr. Karzai.
For his part, Mr. Zardari was full of assurances as well.
“What Afghanistan wants, Afghanistan must get. As a brother of Afghanistan and as a neighbour of Afghanistan, I wish them well and we will facilitate them as much as we can.”
He said Pakistan was bringing a new determination to the fight against terrorism.
“We bring with it the impetus of the people of Pakistan. Yesterday’s war may not have had the people behind it but today’s war has the people behind it, in fact, it has the President who himself is a victim of terrorism”.
Earlier, on what was unquestionably Mr. Zardari’s day, the Afghan President attended his oath-taking ceremony. Mr. Zardari was sworn in by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar. As Mr. Zardari walked in to the hall for the ceremony, slogans of “Jiye Bhutto (long live Bhutto)” erupted in the hall, drowning out the national anthem. Mr. Zardari’s three children — the PPP figurehead chairman Bilawal Bhutto and his two sisters — were among the large gathering of dignitaries present.
Compared to the tightly-guarded swearing in at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, journalists attending the press conference at the same venue were amazed by the absence of security measures. Journalists, who were asked to deposit their belongings at the entrance during President Musharraf’s time, were surprised to find that no one even asked to see as much as an identity card.