By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said as Pakistan was ready to engage India in exposing the hidden hands behind Mumbai terror attacks, the terrorists should not be allowed to derail peace process between the two countries.
“We are prepared to engage India closely to expose the hidden hands behind these attacks”, Gilani said while speaking at a dinner hosted in honour of the EU Heads of Mission here.
“While the terrorists may try to derail the peace process between Pakistan and India, we should not allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs,” the Prime Minister added.
Head of delegation of European Commission, Ambassador Jan De Kok and Ambassador of France, Daniel Jouannean also spoke on the occasion.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan has condemned in the strongest words the ghastly acts of terrorism in the Indian city of Mumbai.
“I have assured Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of our complete cooperation in investigating these attacks”, he added.
About terrorism and extremism, Gilani said Pakistan and the European Union have a common stake in this war, adding, internally Pakistan has evolved a well thought‑out multi‑pronged strategy to restore peace in FATA and parts of the NWFP.
“Our policy has a greater chance of success because it has both political and public ownership”, he said and assured the EU Heads of Mission that Pakistan’s policy is succeeding.
The Prime Minister said in a number of areas, the local population has risen against the militants, adding, an improvement of the situation in the Tribal Areas will have a salutary impact on the security situation of the country as a whole.
He pointed out that the sustainable resilience on the part of the militants is directly correlated to the availability to them of drug money from Afghanistan. “This source of terrorist financing must be checked”, he added.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan has paid a huge human, social and economic cost in the fight against terrorism. “Only in the last three years there have been around 5,000 acts of terrorism, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.”
According to the estimated quantification, Gilani said Pakistan’s economy suffers to the tune of US $ 6 billion a year. Budgetary allocation for the anti‑terrorism drive and security measures has a negative bearing on our development activities, he added.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan’s participation in the anti‑terrorist campaign has led to massive unemployment and displacement of people in the affected regions which in turn is responsible for perpetration of heinous crimes, weakening the very fabric of our society.
“In this context, it becomes even more important for Pakistan to have greater market access to the European Union, which will generate employment and reduce poverty and in turn have an important bearing on our anti terrorism policy”, he added.
The Prime Minister also emphasized that the government is acutely aware of the security needs of the foreign missions. “We are committed to providing you extra security in the present circumstances and have taken important measures to improve the security of your missions and personnel”, he added.
Gilani said Pakistan is fully committed to peace, stability and reconstruction of Afghanistan, adding, bilateral relations and mutual confidence have improved in the last six months.
He said there had been important interactions at the leadership level between the two countries.
“We have successfully convened the Mini Jirga in Islamabad and we are looking forward to the Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan in Islamabad in the near future.”
“We realise that we face common challenges that must be dealt with together by our two countries in a spirit of brotherhood and cooperation”, he added.
Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan attaches highest importance to its traditionally friendly ties with the European Union and its member states.
“It is a matter of gratification that the EU, which is the world’s largest economic bloc and which contributes one‑third of the World’s GDP, is Pakistan’s largest trading partner”, he added.
The Prime Minister said EU enjoys substantial political influence in international affairs. Most of its members are in NATO and thus play a significant role in international security and stability in different regions of the world, he added.
Gilani said with NATO’s expanded security role from the trans‑Atlantic to the trans‑Mediterranean and especially with its presence in Afghanistan, the EU has an important stake in our region.
“We want the EU’s commitment to our region to be of a lasting and enduring nature”, he added.
The Prime Minister noted that with the annual trade turnover more than US $ 10 billion Pakistan’s multifaceted relations with the EU are growing in diverse fields.
EU countries are the largest investors in Pakistan and provide substantial development assistance directed at poverty alleviation, rural development and sustainable growth, he added.
Gilani said with the Third Generation Agreement having been ratified in 2004 and the Readmission Agreement initialled in August this year, “we now need to comprehensively upgrade our relationship”.
He said there was a need for greater institutional connect to enhance our ties in the political, economic, financial, technological, educational and cultural fields.
“We look forward to establishing sign posts and develop a coherent and well coordinated approach to take our relationship with the EU to its true potential,” he added.
The Prime Minister also mentioned a road‑map outlined by the government for a higher level of partnership with the EU.
“Some of the important areas we are looking at include up‑gradation of our dialogue to summit level; initiation of a strategic dialogue as well as an interfaith dialogue; setting up project consortia in line with our development agenda; cooperation in agriculture, energy and exploitation of natural resources; greater market access through a free trade agreement; tapping EU’s technological excellence for our development and increased cooperation towards the capacity building of our institutions”, he added.
About the domestic and regional challenges faced by the country, the Prime Minister thanked the European Union for supporting democratic process in Pakistan.
He said the European Union Election Observers’ Mission was the largest Observer Group which monitored the February Elections in Pakistan.
The elections enabled the people to express their will and elect their true representatives, he said and added “Today, we have a sovereign parliament which manifests the will of the people of Pakistan. Both the President and the Prime Minister represent the true aspirations of our people.”
The Prime Minister, however, added that from the outset the democratic Government, inherited enormous challenges on the economic and security fronts.
“The economy was under immense pressure when we took office. Increasing oil and commodity prices added to our woes and the balance of trade soared to over 15 billion US dollars. Food inflation rose to 25 percent. The Stock markets and investors’ confidence were badly affected and there was a flight of capital.”
Resultantly, he said, the foreign exchange reserves rapidly depleted and the rupee depreciated to a record low, adding, the recent international financial crisis further aggravated the situation.
The Prime Minister said the growing vulnerability of our external account and decline in reserves led to downgrading of Pakistan’s sovereign credit ratings.
He, however, emphasized that the democratic government is fully cognizant of the economic challenges the country is facing and is capable of addressing them.
Realize that there are no quick fixes, the Prime Minister said, the government has accordingly set out clear priorities to meet these challenges both in the short and long term.
“We have appointed a Panel of Economists which has reviewed the economic situation and suggested an economic reform and adjustment plan. We have successfully negotiated with the IMF and hope that together with our economic reform plan, the IMF implementation Programme will bring a sharp turnaround of our economy”, he added.
The Prime Minister assured the EU Heads of Missions that the government was taking necessary measures to restore investors’ confidence, ease inflationary pressures and stabilize the stock exchange.
“We are focused to take advantage of our strategic location to turn Pakistan into a regional hub for economic activity by acting as a bridge between Central, South and West Asia”, he said and hoped that the EU will support Pakistan in this endeavour and to bring peace and prosperity to this region.
The Prime Minister thanked the French Ambassador and the Head of Delegation of the European Commission for the warm sentiments and for their perceptive outlook on Pakistan‑EU relations.
The preparation of the “Blue Book” reflects the firm commitment of the European Union to Pakistan’s well‑being and prosperity, he added.
Head of Delegation of the European Commission, Ambassador Jan De Kok speaking on the occasion the EU greatly values its relations with third countries including Pakistan and extends its solidarity beyond its own borders.
He said the EU provided Euro 900 million of ODA to Pakistan during the period 2005‑07.
He hoped that the first edition of the Blue Book gives a good insight into the type of cooperation the EU and Pakistan have undertaken together.
Ambassador Jan De Kok said the EU will continue to assist Pakistan in achieving its Millennium Development Goals and to achieve sustained economic development.
French Ambassador Daniel Jouanneau in his remarks said the EU attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan and considers the country a strategic partner.
He said the EU is mainly seen in Pakistan as a large market, adding, “we are actively considering your wish to have a better access to our market.”