Military option alone not enough to fight terrorism: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that he had told Bush administration officials during his visit to Washington that while Pakistan will not hesitate from using force where and when required, terrorism could not be fought through military force alone.

“Our strategy is that the military option alone is not enough,” he told a meeting of members of the Pakistani community at the Pakistan House. “This war has to be fought besides the armies, with the help of the people, by winning hearts and minds,” he said, adding that a multipronged approach that combined political engagement with social reforms could effectively fight the menace.

In an effort to address the apprehensions voiced by members of the community over US threats to intervene in the tribal areas, the foreign minister said that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used by any other country. “Our concerns are known to them and we believe that action in Pakistan will be taken by Pakistani troops. We cannot permit any foreign troops in Pakistan. They are very well aware of the people’s sentiments”.

Qureshi’s address to the Pakistani community was the last engagement of his hectic five-day trip to the United States during which he met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, addressed the Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, conferred with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley in Washington besides a host of other engagements.

The foreign minister spoke for more than an hour apprising the audience of the developments in Pakistan since the emergence of the elected government, the acute problems it was facing, especially the rise of extremism in some parts of the country, the economic difficulties caused by escalating oil prices that spawned inflation and the issue of the restoration of deposed judges. He said that the government was determined to overcome the problems besetting the people and set Pakistan on the path to progress and prosperity.

The audience burst into applause as Qureshi said that the PPP government believed in an independent judiciary and that the judges deposed in the wake of the imposition of emergency last November would be restored. “We respect your wishes,” he told the community members who posed a number of questions on the issue. “Just be patient and bear with us. We will bring them (judges) back with respect and honour.”

Questioned about implications for Pakistan of a UN probe into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he said all its aspects and pros and cons were taken into consideration. The request for the probe was based on the aspirations of the people expressed in the unanimous resolutions adopted by the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.

The people of Pakistan, he said, wanted to get to the bottom of the conspiracy to kill Ms Bhutto, who was not an ordinary leader. That’s why the government sought an independent, impartial inquiry by the UN. While the UN has agreed to set up the commission, its modalities have to be worked out. He said he met ambassadors of the permanent members of the UN Security Council and all of them supported Pakistan’s request for a UN probe.

Closely questioned, Qureshi said the commission’s terms of reference would be carefully drafted so that it does not become “unnecessarily intrusive”. Responding to questions about the timeframe for the commission to complete its work, the foreign minister said the intention was for it to be completed “in the shortest possible time” and not become “a lingering thing, going on for years”.

On Pak-US relations, Qureshi said Pakistan desires a more balanced, broader and longer-term relationship with the United States. “For too long our bilateral relationship has hinged heavily on co-operation in security areas, but luckily there is a clear realisation from both sides that we need to expand our co-operation across a broad spectrum from agriculture to trade, energy and education,” he added. He said the relationship should move away from the “cyclical” pattern of the past. “We want a more stable approach. We have been too focused on military-to-military co-operation and on individuals,” he stated. The US must now work with Pakistani institutions.

Qureshi said the government in Pakistan is seeking a “partnership” with the US and wants tangible signs that the Bush administration will increase aid and embrace Pakistani democracy.

He paid tributes to members of the Pakistani community for the contributions to their homeland’s economic and political development. “You are the ambassadors of Pakistan in this country and we look forward to your work in projecting the true image of the country.” Earlier, Ambassador Haqqani welcomed the foreign minister and urge the community members to sink their differences and speak with one voice. “Unity among you is the need of the hour”, he said.