Mamnoon says foreign intervention main cause of terrorism

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain said on Sunday the main cause of terrorism is foreign intervention, and that counter-terrorism measures taken by Pakistan have broken the backbone of terrorists in the country.

Addressing the inaugural session of the First Speakers’ Conference hosted by the National Assembly of Pakistan and attended by the parliamentary heads from six regional countries here, the president said Pakistan was playing its role for the development and prosperity of the region. He expressed hope that terrorism will soon be completely eliminated from the country.

The president said Pakistan had been dragged into the war-quagmire after the tragic 9/11 incident .

The conference was attended by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, Speaker of the Wolisi Jirga of Afghanistan Abdul Rauf Ibraheemi, Speaker of the Shoora-e-Islami of Iran Dr. Ali Larejani, Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia Volodin Vyacheslav Viktorovich, Speaker of Grand Turkish Assembly Ismail Kehrman and Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress of China Zhang Ping.

Among the audience were also Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, President Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Pakistan Muslim League’s Mushahid Hussain Sayed, parliamentarians and delegates from different countries. The president said that due to the circumstances following the 9/11 ,the law & order in Pakistan was adversely affected.

He said the terrorism had created immense problems in several countries of the region with Pakistan being the most affected during the last few years, more than 70,000 Pakistanis had lost their lives in acts of terrorism besides bearing a financial loss of more than 120 billion dollars.

He told the gathering that Pakistan had initiated comprehensive steps to cope with the situation under the National Action Plan in different parts of the country while an effective action has been taken in tribal areas under Operation Zrb-e-Azb operation.

“As a result of these steps of Government of Pakistan, the terrorists have received a severe blow. I am sure that, this issue will be addressed completely in the near future,” said the President. Welcoming the guests to the federal capital, the president hoped that the conference would prove extremely beneficial in combating the challenges being faced by the region as well as to utilize the opportunities for regional development and prosperity.

He viewed that during course of the conference, the interactions and consultations among the participating countries would bring them even closer understanding of each other, as well as a source of opening new vistas of possible cooperation. President Mamnoon said that the geography, common values of opinions and similar conditions provide Pakistan, Iran, China, Turkey, Russia and Afghanistan wider opportunities to work in unison for the development and prosperity of their people.

“Our geographical proximity has the potential of changing the course of history,” he remarked. He said the roads and railway lines of China Pakistan Economic Corridor were linking the region with the whole world through Pakistan. This network of land routes will bring different regions of the world closer by reducing distances through one region one route.

The president said as a result of untiring efforts by Pakistan and China, the economic corridor connecting different continents was about to start functioning and would enable western China and particularly countries of Central Asia to access other parts of Asia and larger markets of Africa and European countries through the Arabian Sea.

“Pakistan is engaged in its best efforts to materialize this great dream because we think that the future of these regions lies hidden in active links, mutual trade and co-operation into which China Pakistan Economic Corridor will infuse new spirit. Under this spirit, we sincerely invite all countries of the region to join the economic corridor,” the president said.

However, he said the economic stability and prosperity for which this region was dreaming of, was conditioned with regional peace and stability, peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.

He said under this spirit Pakistan had extended sincere and unconditional co-operation for peace and stability in Afghanistan believing that stability in the region was linked with the stability in Afghanistan. To achieve this common aspiration, we will co-operate in every serious effort. Similarly, Pakistan had extended full co-operation to neighbouring countries to improve and make the border security effective to control extremism.

He said in order to combat terrorism, Pakistan’s armed forces had special experience and specialty from which its neighbor countries could benefit. He said as far as our region was concerned, most of the nations of this part of the world had mutual cordial and pleasant ties and there existed a perfect conducive environment of co-operation among them.

President Mamnoon said the breach of people’s right to self determination and fundamental rights created a number of problems and the Kashmir dispute was a glaring example. He said ,Pakistan was of the opinion that this issue had endangered the peace of the sub-continent. It was necessary that the standing issue be instantly resolved with the help of people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir and in the light of resolutions of the United Nations so that the clouds of war hovering over the region be averted.

Besides Speaker National Assembly’s welcome and Chairman Senate’s keynote addresses, all the five guest heads of their respective parliaments also addressed the inaugural session.