Pakistan Calls for Defreezing Assets of Palestinian Authority
By Maria Khan 'Pakistan Times' Diplomatic Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz emphasizing the need to take joint efforts for the resolution of the Palestine issue has called for defreezing the assets of the Palestinian Authority to alleviate sufferings of the Palestinian people.

He was talking to senior media persons at Dead Sea, Jordan last evening before his departure for home, after representing Pakistan at the World Economic Forum and the G-11 summit.

Shaukat Aziz urged the international community to help resolve the Palestinian conflict in the interest of peace and security in the Middle East by including all the stakeholders in the dialogue process, as inclusion is better than exclusion.

He also appealed to the rival Palestinian factions to end their mutual bickerings and promote unity in the larger interest of their noble cause.

The Prime Minister told media persons that Pakistan and India are pursuing discussions through different channels to resolve the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

About Afghanistan he said Pakistan was maintaining contacts with the Afghan Government to promote security. Pakistan has also taken a number of steps for border control, including deployment of more troops and selective fencing of the border to help check cross border activities.

He said it was because of the effective measures taken by Pakistan that no unusual cross border movement took place this spring, despite widespread speculations in the media when the world was calling Pakistan to do more.

He said Pakistan has nabbed more terrorists than any other country of the world. Shaukat Aziz said for the first time assemblies would complete their term in Pakistan and free, fair and transparent elections would be held under a caretaker set up.

He said necessary amendments have been made in the constitution for caretaker government before the general elections. He said his tenure, as elected Prime Minister will be the longest ever in the parliamentary history of the country.

The Prime Minister rejected reports of any deal with the PPP and said these are mere speculations in the press. He said the coalition partners of PML will contest election on a single platform.

On Pakistan's economic achievements, the Prime Minister said the country has strong growth rate and foreign direct investment would cross six billion dollars this year.

The Prime Minister while giving details of Pak-India dialogue process said both the countries have been engaged in the confidence building measures and the peace process is moving ahead.

He said still the core issue between India and Pakistan is the Jammu and Kashmir and it has to be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of Kashimiris. He said direct and indirect and back channel diplomacy is going on between Pakistan and India to ensure peace and security in the region through resolving disputes.

On the Afghanistan issue, the Prime Minister said stable, strong and progressive Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan. He said increasing drug production in Afghanistan has become a matter of concern for Pakistan, as there is nexus between drug money and terrorism.

He said Pakistan has been contributing actively in the development of Afghanistan and has provided $350 million aid while the trade between the two countries has been increased from $25 million to $1.3 billion.

On the nuclear issue of Iran, the Prime Minister said Pakistan has very clear policy on this issue. Pakistan is against any kind of proliferation but Iran should have the right to have peaceful use of nuclear technology under the guidelines of IAEA, he added.

He said Pakistan is also against the use of force against Iran to resolve its nuclear issue adding that the issue should be resolved through a dialogue process.

Pakistan's Development

Pakistan's development, its continuous economic growth rate, highest ever foreign direct investment in the current fiscal year and trickling down factor of economic growth was highly appreciated at the World Economic Forum on Middle East held at Dead Sea, in Amman from May 18 to 20.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz led Pakistan's delegation comprising Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Saleem Saifullah Khan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Senator Tariq Azeem Khan, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and Riaz Hussain Pirzada MNA along with representatives of the business community.

The Prime Minister attended various sessions of WEF and also represented Pakistan in the second summit of G-11, a group of middle-income countries making strides in various fields.

Highlighting reforms agenda pursued in the last seven years by Pakistan, the Prime Minister said these most broad-based and comprehensive reforms, recognized internationally have repositioned and revitalized Pakistan in the international community and it is now included in Next Eleven countries which are on the verge of economic take off.

He said political reforms in Pakistan have ensured good governance through transparency and accountability. He said there has been devolution of power at grassroots level, with elected representatives at the district, provincial and national level bodies, with representation for women and minorities.

"Pakistan today has an active parliament, an independent judiciary and free media," he said.

The Prime Minister said the economic reforms are based on principles of deregulation, liberalization and privatization and they have ensured sustained annual growth at an average of 7 per cent over the past four years.

He said Pakistan has now embarked upon second-generation reforms including enhancement of infrastructure, development of human capital and building a knowledge-based economy. He said the lessons of Pakistan's experience of implementing the reforms could be useful for other countries facing similar challenges.

The Prime Minister said the international community, especially the western powers, also need to play a supportive role to help bring peace and stability to the region which is also in their own interest. He said the international community must facilitate efforts to resolve the disputes and conflicts raging in the region and they must help in finding just and durable solutions to these issues as then it would be possible to remove the root causes of terrorism that poses a threat to the entire international community.

The Prime Minister said the developed countries also must support efforts for socio-economic development in the Middle East region and asked them to provide market access, encourage investment and joint ventures and ensure transfer of technology.

Participating in a discussion on stability in Middle East, the Prime Minister said sincere efforts should be made to resolve the Palestine issue through including all the stakeholders in the process of negotiation. He said Palestinians must get their rights and the Muslim ummah should work together to ensure their rights.

He also urged the Muslim world to make concentrated efforts to project Islam in its true spirit and meaning as a religion of peace, tolerance and harmony.
He said the Muslim world’s needs greater unity with in their ranks. "We must resolve the contradictions within and between our countries, we must encourage moderation and enlightenment in our societies and harness all our resources to confront and overcome the forces of extremism and obscurantism," he added.

He said broader Middle East region is confronted by multiple challenges and added that continuing conflicts had made the region the epicenter of violence and confrontation around the world. He said recurring violence in the Palestine, the

continuing carnage in Iraq, instability in Lebanon, the insurgency in Afghanistan, the struggle for self-determination in Kashmir and tension s between the West and Iran are the difficult challenges that the world is facing today. Their negative impact is the greatest on the Muslim, he said. He also called for defreezing of the assets of the Palestinian Authority to alleviate sufferings of the Palestinian people.

Shaukat Aziz said the situation in Iraq and Palestine is also proving to be breeding ground for extremis and terrorism. These conflicts, he said, provide the root causes of the terrorism. He said uneven socio-economic development in the Middle East region represents an untenable situation and this discrepancy in Muslim societies is provoking extremism and violence. While addressing various sessions, the Prime Minister also explained various steps taken by Pakistan to improve its relations with India and Pakistan. He especially mentioned the ongoing dialogue process with India and said there has been improvement in Pak-India relations.

He also chaired a session on "Informal Meeting of Political and Economic Leaders (IMPEL)” on the issue of "The Middle East Looking Ahead” in connection with World Economic Forum.

Leading Pakistan in the second summit of G-11, which was inaugurated by King Abdullah, the Prime Minister Aziz said the progress and development achieved by members countries of G-11 must now need to move towards "second generation reforms" involving investments in infrastructure and human development. He said with a view to achieve these targets, there is need for greater market access, enhanced productive capacities and development of scientific and technological capabilities.

The Prime Minister appreciated the proposed institutionalized cooperation between G-11 and G-8 countries and added that there is need for closer collaboration with G-8 to have increased market access and greater investment as well as technology access.

He expressed the hope the summit will further consolidate what have already agreed upon and present a shared vision for the future. The Prime Minister said, " Pakistan fully supports the objectives and commitments set out for G-11.

The eleven development countries of G-11 agreed to a framework to push the G-11 initiative forward, institutionalize the relationship between the Group and the

G-8 to explore means for enhancing cooperation among the group in potential areas including trade, investment, culture and transportation. The leaders of the G-11 in their second summit adopted summit communique to reaffirm their commitment and shared goals to achieve sustainable growth fulfill the aspirations to meet the Millennium Development Goals and make a stronger contribution to the global economy.

The G-11 summit was presided over by King Abdullah of Jordan while it was attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Morocco, President of Croatia, President of El-Salvador, President of Georgia, President of Sri Lanka, Vice Prime Minister of Honduras, Prime Minister, and Ministers from Ecuador and Paraguay.

The leaders of the G-11 countries also agreed that mounting fiscal challenges are hindering progress on the implementation of the structural reforms, which require to address the economic vulnerabilities being faced by the member states. They were agreed that achieving sustainable economic growth depends on overcoming the main challenges and the successful implementation of reform and development programmes.

The G-11 leaders also agreed that the next summit would be held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in 2008.

The forum of G-11, comprising lower middle-income countries was conceived in August 2005 as a nucleus of new partnership between lower-middle income countries to prepare common platform for soliciting additional support through increased aid and investment, facilitated trade and debt relief, mainly from G-8 countries.The forum was established with the personal interest and help of King Abdullah and the eleven members of the G-11 are Jordan, Pakistan, Croatia, Georgia, Honduras, Paraguay, Ecuador, Morocco, Sri Lanka, El Salvador and Indonesia.

PM Returns Home

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz returns home after three days visit to Jordan, after attending a meeting of World Economic Forum and G-11.●