PM Aziz Reiterates: Kashmir Solution prerequisite for Peace in South Asia
By Tariq Bashir 'Pakistan Times' Foreign Correspondent

GENEVA (Switzerland): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday said the stage has now come for Pakistan and India to move towards dispute resolution and called for a just settlement of the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir to ensure durable peace and security in South Asia.

“Considerable progress has been made through confidence building measures and people to people contacts which has reduced tensions and improved the bilateral atmosphere,” he told an august gathering of intellectuals, scholars and diplomats.

The Prime Minister was invited by the prestigious the Geneva Center for Security Policy, and Graduate Institute of International Studies to share his thought and vision on the theme of “Pakistan: A rising nation”.

“The stage has now come for the two countries (Pakistan and India) to move beyond dispute management to dispute resolution. Durable peace and security requires a just settlement of the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the Prime Minister said.

He said a lasting solution must be acceptable to all three stakeholders- Pakistan, India and above all the Kashmiris.

Prime Minister Aziz called for demonstrating courage, determination, flexibility and commitment, saying “we remain ready to do our part”.

He referred to several ideas put forward by President General Pervez Musharraf including self-governance and demilitarization, which were aimed at taking the process forward. “We will continue to pursue this objective,” he added.

Prime Minister Aziz, in his comprehensive speech, gave an overview of a qualitative transformation that has taken place in Pakistan in less than a decade and has revitalized and repositioned the country as a key player on the international scene.

He also spoke on major conflicts and challenges facing the world today and analyzed their implications for a global peace and security.

Development & Security

Drawing linkage between development and security, he said Pakistan’s policies to ensure internal development have been complimented by efforts to build architecture of security and cooperation in the neighbourhood and beyond.

This architecture, he added, is based on four pillars that includes promoting dialogue aimed at resolving outstanding disputes and ongoing conflicts that breed terrorism and violence as well as tensions between states and maintaining credible deterrence and pursing strategic restraint to avoid an arms race and preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Strengthening global and regional institutions for economic cooperation and evolving more coherent and effective coordination between donors and multilateral agencies to reduce and remove poverty, promote development and to protect the environment, have been the other two pillars of the government’s policy, he added.

Prime Minister shared with the select gathering, the journey of the Pakistani nation on the path of recovery and resurgence, towards becoming a vibrant, progressive and prosperous nation.

He recalled that nearly 7 years, the offers were empty, the economy was stagnant and the debt burden unbearable and the country isolated with mounting tensions on our borders.

“In less than a decade a qualitative transformation has taken place in Pakistan. Over the past 7 years we have revitalized and repositioned Pakistan as a key player on the international scene,” he added.

Prime Minister Aziz said the transformation of Pakistan has been the result of a conscious and deliberate policy and not an accident of fate driven by global changes.

This policy, he added, has been guided by broad-based multi-dimensional structural reforms covering political, economic and social sectors, aimed at transforming Pakistan into a prosperous and progressive state, with a vibrant and dynamic economy being the catalyst for holistic change.

Prime Minister Aziz said the government has ensured good governance through transparency and accountability and the people have been empowered from the grassroots to the national level with elections to local bodies, provincial assemblies and the federal parliament.

The second round of elections to the local bodies was held last year while provincial and national elections are scheduled for 2007, he said and added, the country has a vibrant opposition, an independent judiciary and a free and vociferous media.

Our democratic institutions are strong and have taken deep roots. The Prime Minister also gave an overview of an upsurge in the economy and said the government has ensured better fiscal and monetary discipline and increasing revenue generation.

In the social sector, he said, the government reforms have focused on eradicating poverty, generating employment, better healthcare and education, rural development and empowerment of women and minorities.

Prime Minister Aziz also shared with the audience Pakistan’s strategic location at the confluence of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia that provides the shortest route to the sea for the landlocked countries of Central Asia and for Western China.

Terrorism

On terrorism, the Prime Minister stated that the menace threatens all countries and underlined the key role Pakistan was playing in the international war on terror.

“Due to our efforts significant successes have been achieved in this campaign. We remain committed to eliminating this scourge,” he added.

The Prime Minister, however, renewed call for the world to address the root causes of terrorism, saying the problem requires a holistic approach in which the military and security effort must be accompanied by measures to resolve the causes of terrorism which are connected to a sense deprivation, injustice and frustration in places such as Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also rejected as “unjust” the attempts to link terrorism to Muslims and to demonize Islam. “Terrorism has no religion nor does it recognize borders. The vast majority of Muslims in the world are tolerant and law-abiding citizens while Islam preaches peace, harmony and tolerance.”

The Prime Minister urged the world to guard against false thesis such as a clash of civilizations and instead promote intra-civilizational dialogue and understanding.

In this context, he also referred to President Pervez Musharraf’s concept of enlightened moderation which urges Muslim societies to reform and modernize while calling upon the Western powers to help resolve the root-causes of extremism and terrorism.

Of Global Challenges

Another report says that while underscoring the pivotal role of the United Nations in advancing global development agenda, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday said the world today was facing grave challenge to end hunger and poverty and realize the promise of universal prosperity to lay foundation of lasting peace for succeeding generations.

Delivering a keynote address at the meeting of the High Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), he also described peace and stability as an essential prerequisite for growth and development and called for addressing them with same urgency as poverty and development.

In his wide-ranging address, Prime Minister Aziz highlighted the global problems and challenges of the present day and shared his vision as to how the international community collectively could address these challenges and benefit from the historical progress made during the last decade.

He also shared with the participants Pakistan's policy of comprehensive multi-sectoral reforms, which have helped in the government struggle against poverty and in its quest for enhancing the economic growth, development and welfare of our people.●