NEW YORK, May 11 (APP): Reaffirming Pakistan’s resolve to defeat the militant insurgency, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that every effort would be made to keep collateral damage to the miniumum while fighting extremism in the hope of finding a solution.  “We don’t want to make one million dead,” the president said, while  citing the killings that took place in the anti-terror operations in Algiers and in Afghanistan, among other countries.

Addressing a largely-attended meeting of Pakistani-Americans at a local hotel here, he urged them to read contemporary history, not age-old history, about several instances of large-scale deaths resulting from several countries’ attempts to wipe out insurgencies.

“We want to avoid bloodshed,” so that the effect was minimal and a solution found. “This moment calls for a lot of courage and at the same time a lot of thinking.”

The president likened the al-Qaeda with a monster and sought international support in eliminating it. The monster had bit Pakistan, it bit the United States and also the world at large. He accused Osama bin Laden of funding the non-confidence motion against government of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who was elected the first woman prime of Pakistan. The Osama brand of ideology had no place for women beyond the confines of their homes.  The first-elected Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was sent to gallows by a dictator, who was a fundamentalist, he pointed out. The bullet that killed Mohtarma Bhutto also came from the gun of a fundamentalist, he said.

The President was warmly greeted with Zinda Bad slogans when he entered into the hall. Among those present were Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and Agriculture Minister Nazar Mohammad Gondal besides Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States and the United Nations—Husain Haqqani and Abdullah Hussain Haroon, respectively.

Giving background to the circumstances in which the PPP government took office, President Zardari said he would do his utmost so that Pakistan reaches to its full potential.

“We have to come together and save Pakistan,” Democracy was a part of the solution and a starting points to resolving all the problems being faced by the country.

The President said Pakistan needed ten years of peace and sustained international

economic support to reach it full potential. The government, he said, was working hard towards that end. Pakistan was key state and should get the attention and support of the world.

Referring to his talks in Washington with President Barack Obama and other administration officials and congressional leaders, he said they have now a better understanding of Pakistan’s point of view. The visit, he said, was successful. He could speak to them with confidence as the elected leader of Pakistan and who has the confidence of nation’s parliament.

The president also answered questions. About drone attacks, he said he has asked the Obama administration to equip Pakistan with  technolgy and Pakistan would itself take action against the militants.  But he said, the talks were ongoing and no decision has yet been taken.

The president to the applause that the overseeas Pakistani would be allowed to vote in the national elections and steps were being taken in that direction. He also said that Parliament would decide on the question of allocating a seat in the National Assemly for overseas Pakistanis.  Setps were also being taken to provide plots in housing schemes for the overseas Pakistanis, he said.