New Peace Initiatives: Pakistan, Malaysia Show Unanimity of Views                                
By Francis Deron 'Pakistan Times' Foreign Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia): Pakistan and Malaysia have expressed unanimity of views towards a fresh initiative by a group of like-minded Muslim countries to bring harmony and resolution of disputes with fairness and justice.

This was stated by President General Pervez Musharraf and Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badawi at a joint news conference here Thursday after their second round of talks.

President Musharraf said his visit to Malaysia was extension of the process of consultations towards a new initiative and hoped to take this process forward towards some meaningful results.

He said his talks with Prime Minister Abdullah Badwai were held with total understanding and complete consonance of views. They, he added, are proud of the fact that the two countries have commonality of views on issues that afflict the world and the region. He said they also discussed bilateral matters.

To a question, President Musharraf said this is a process of consultations towards a fresh initiative. He said there is a possibility that the fresh move may involve new approach. He hoped that they may succeed in the resolving the Palestine and other disputes, facing the Muslim Ummah.

He said new initiative is worth trial when there are troubles and things are deteriorating and worsening. He said through the new initiative, they may turn around the situation towards improvement and then go for the final resolution, ensuring a durable peace in the region.

Referring to deteriorating situation in the Middle East, he stressed that this downward slide should be converted towards normalcy, by resolution of disputes. He expressed optimism that the new strategy to be adopted by the like-mined countries, may succeed.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmed Badwai, welcoming the move of fresh initiative, said he discussed with President Musharraf the situation in Middle East, Palestine and Lebanon.

He said President Musharraf and some other leaders brought up matters of great concern to the Ummah. He said the issue of Middle East was very tough and referred to efforts made by various organizations in the past including UN Security Council, OIC, Arab league and some other groups.

He said yet the situation continues to be at a stage where it is of great concern and violence is escalating.

He said Pakistan and Malaysia have common understanding on many things. During their talks, he said they examined many options, relating to Middle East and hoped that they would be able to make a bigger group and further the process of consultations to find a solution to the problems.

Earlier, the two leaders had another round of talks at the hotel where President Pervez Musharraf was staying in Kuala Lumpur. The talks lasted for about an hour and covered various issues, facing the Muslim Ummah.

They were assisted by their senior aides. President Musharraf was assisted by Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri and Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan.

Recap

As was reported by Pakistan's first ISSN-certified independent daily E-newspaper, 'Pakistan Times' in its edition of Thursday, January-31, 2007 Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi assured his country's support to the new initiative aimed at defusing tension in the Middle East during talks with President General Pervez Musharraf here Wednesday.

The talks lasted over an hour and the Malaysian leader expressed his country's readiness to join Pakistan's efforts towards peace in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. President Musharraf last week visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and United Arab Emirates and held talks with their leaders.

On Tuesday, he held a meeting with the Indonesian president in Jakarta before coming to Malaysia as part of efforts to develop a broad consensus on a way forward to resolve the Palestine issue to bring lasting peace to the region.

President Musharraf and Prime Minister Badawi hoped the new initiative would gain momentum in order to overcome the crucial issues facing the Ummah.

The President briefed the Malaysian Prime Minister about his talks with the leaders of five Arab countries and the Indonesian President and said he received a very positive response to involve the like-minded countries for adopting a joint strategy to address the core issue of Palestine as well as the other issues confronting the Ummah.

Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri told reporters that the idea being pursued by the President was to move together with collective voice to seek durable and acceptable solutions to the disputes.

Kasuri hoped that the like-minded countries of the Muslim world will take stock of the prevailing situation in the Middle East and will come up with a strategy to normalize the situation in the Middle East.

He said that President Musharraf held brain-storming sessions with the leaders of Arab and South East Asian countries.

President Musharraf described the situation in Palestine as very explosive, which required urgent attention with a collective and forceful voice that represents the wishes and desires of the Muslim states.

He said, "We have to move forward towards reconciliation among different factions, setting aside the policy of confrontation."

The President's visit to Indonesia and Malaysia was in continuation of his last week's whirlwind tour of the five Middle East countries.

According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan, like other Muslim countries, is deeply concerned at the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, especially Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.

"The spiralling violence in the region has the potential to destabilize the entire region. It is having direct impact on Muslim countries outside the region including Pakistan. We therefore cannot remain indifferent bystanders," a Foreign Ministry statement had said ahead of the President's visit to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Every leader the President has met or talked to shares his deep concerns and agrees on the urgent need for a strong new initiative on the Middle East situation, particularly the Palestine issue.

"There is also an urgent need to address the challenge of terrorism and extremism and to bring harmony in the Muslim world", the statement said.

President Musharraf is accompanied by Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri and Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan.

The Malaysian Prime Minister hosted a dinner in honour of President Musharraf and members of his entourage.●