Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - War on terrorism a test for democracy: Wajid Shamsul Hasan

Our democratic government, the people and the armed forces are rendering unprecedented sacrifices to clear the mess accumulated as a result of three decades of war,” said Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan while delivering a talk at Goodenough College in Central London, Thursday evening.
He said the country was dauntlessly committed to defeat the forces of extremism as it cannot allow self-proclaimed vigilantes to shape their lives.
“We cannot allow martial Madrasas to flourish. We have to replace them with modern alternate education, to equip them to face the overall challenges of socio-economic development,” he said at the college’s prestigious largely attended Port Talk session.
The College is an international residential centre for postgraduates whether academic, professional or artistic, studying or training in London. Currently the community consists of around 650 students, many of those from Pakistan and senior scholars from over ninety different countries.
The Director of the College Major General (retd) Andrew Ritchie , a former Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), welcomed the High Commissioner.
Hasan told the participants that Pakistan , its democratic leadership, brave armed forces and resilient masses are fighting a war to save its own progressive and liberal ideological foundation laid by its founder Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah threatened by extremists and militants with an obscurantist agenda.
He spoke of the challenges confronting Pakistan and narrated the difficult transition from dictatorship to electoral democracy at the cost of martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
“The transition from dictatorship to electoral democracy in Pakistan has not been easy. It has been a journey full of toil, untold sacrifices and sufferings. Our martyred leader Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto gave her blood to singe the beards of the enemies of democracy in their den. So did hundreds and thousands of our countrymen whose dauntless perseverance and determination have enabled them to defeat anti-democratic forces and stand aloft as a bulwark against forces of extremism and obscurantism.”
The High Commissioner said the present leadership firmly believes in the return to Jinnah’s vision of an egalitarian Pakistan, to the ideals of socio-economic justice and empowerment of the people as perceived by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his great daughter Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto that were aimed at seeking the greatest good of the largest number in a pluralistic society having strength of unity through multi-cultural and ethnic diversity.
He pointed out that Jinnah had set clear goals for the people and Pakistan. “In his Pakistan all its citizens were to be equal—irrespective of their caste, creed or colour. His Pakistan was not to be a theocratic state and it was not to be a country where poor were to remain poor and rich were to get richer. He had made it clear that notwithstanding their religious or cultural moorings—all citizens in his Pakistan were to be equal.”
Hasan Jinnah’s Pakistan was to be a modern and progressive democracy,a role model for rest of the Muslim and Third World. “That is what the democratic government in Pakistan believes and is working for to achieve the ideals of our founding fathers,” he added.
He said country’s most popular leader Benazir Bhutto stoutly believed that a democratic Pakistan is the world’s best guarantee for the triumph of moderation and modernity among over one billion Muslims at the crossroads of their history.
“She died pleading that the future was in our hands. She believed “freedom must be reinvented in every generation. People of Pakistan and its elected leadership are determined to make her vision and dream come true.”
The High Commissioner spoke at length on the regional situation that arose from the erstwhile Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and said the multi-faceted challenges that Pakistan faces today are mostly due to the engineered demise of the Soviet Union.
He pointed out that in the post-Soviet occupation phase West abandoned democracy in Pakistan and left Afghanistan in the cold with the empowerment of the most radical elements of the Mujahadeen. The bigoted religious extremists in Kabul became the sources of a political and religious extremist movement that morphed into the Taliban and later al-Qaeda.
Hasan asserted that the democratic government notwithstanding the enormous cost in men and material has made it clear that it shall not tolerate any challenge or disregard to the writ of the government.
“Clean up operations will continue till the whole country is exorcized of the terrorists. They will not be allowed to train themselves, use our territory for their dastardly activities or find sanctuaries on Pakistani soil.”
The High Commissioner also called for the resolution of Kashmir dispute, saying that it remains the core issues between Pakistan and India.
He expressed thanks to the UK Government and it people for their steadfast support during all these years of Pakistan’s trial and tribulation. “The two countries stood with each other during the cold war, and are together in their fight against the forces of extremism,” he said.
Hasan mentioned deep rooted relations between the two countries and said over a million British citizens of Pakistani and Kashmiri origin are contributing to the British life in all fields.
The UK, he stated, is the second largest trading partner of Pakistan within the European Union with over one billion pounds sterling turnover. For education, the UK is the favourite destination for our students. Approximately ten thousand students come to the UK every year.
“However, there is much room to expand these relationships.
I believe that Pakistan and UK can build a durable partnership by enhancing their cooperation in variety of fields.”
The High Commissioner said the Pakistani leadership has agreed to broaden this partnership by establishing a strategic dialogue in a structured manner to promote mutual prosperity and stability. “This strategic dialogue encompasses all important facets of our relationship, including overcoming threats from militancy, terrorism and extremism; defence, sustainable economic development; poverty reduction and education.”
He also expressed gratitude to the UK for allocating 665 million pounds development aid to Pakistan over the next four years, which also includes 200 million pounds specifically to support education. He also appreciated the UK’s assistance of 22 million pounds for the dislocated persons of Swat and Malakand region.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan called for more investments in Pakistan and preferential treatment of Pakistani exports to help address poverty and unemployment in the country. “We need to educate our youth so that they do not fall prey to the machinations of extremists.”
Saying that the UK is the second largest partner of Pakistan within the European Union, he sought Britain’s support to plead Pakistan’s case with European partners to allow preferential treatment of Pakistan products in their market.
“In the present circumstances when we are facing terrorism, Pakistan cannot be equated with other countries of the region in terms of market access, GSP Plus or Anti-Dumping regulations.”
The High Commissioner said the travel advisories issued by European countries including the UK, are hurting Pakistan badly. It has negative impact on investment in Pakistan, which in turn has caused economic downturn despite positive macro-economic outlook in the country.
He welcomed that establishment of a joint task force for education and said Pakistani Government has resolved to promote education in the country at primary, middle and higher levels.
The High Commissioner underscored cooperation in the following fields:
:    Greater access to Pakistani students in the reputed educational institutions of the UK at post-graduate and doctoral levels. :    Exchange of scholars, scientists and educationists in order to build the capacity of our educational institutions. :    Establishment of UK educational institutions campuses in Pakistan.
:    Exchange of teachers and students in each others’ educational institutions.
:    Establishment of centres of excellence in Pakistani universities.
:    Permission to Pakistani students to register online with the UK educational institutions and continue their studies while staying in Pakistan.
He stressed that Islam embraced a rich variety of political, social and cultural traditions with its fundamental ethos being tolerance, dialogue and democracy.
The High Commissioner concluded by saying that a democratic
Pakistan is the best guarantee against extremism. “There are no doubts that huge problems are to be tackled. But our democratic government is confident of gradually overcoming all the difficulties with the support of the people of Pakistan.”

Today is,

APP Services