Peaceful Afghanistan in Interest of Pakistan, PM Tells UK Foreign Secretary

Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency

Islamabad, 26 February: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday [26 February] said that a peaceful, growing and a vibrant Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan, the region and the world, and Pakistan will continue to extend its support to the Karzai government.

The prime minister said this while talking to British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Ms. Margaret Beckett, who called on him at the Prime Minster’s House here.

The prime minister said that all stakeholders in Afghanistan have an important role to play in repatriating the three million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan and in reducing the growing drug production in that country. He also emphasized the need to set up more border posts and intensify efforts for patrolling to prevent illegal cross-border movement between the two countries.

The prime minister said that Pakistan is fighting the war against terrorism out of conviction and will continue to play its part in it. It, however, feels that there is a need to adopt a Marshall Plan- type approach to accelerate reconstruction in Afghanistan so as to bring about a palpable change in the quality of lives of the people of Afghanistan, he added.

Talking about bilateral relations, the prime minister said Pakistan has a multifaceted relationship with the United Kingdom which is rooted in history and shared objectives. A large Pakistani community living in the UK provides a vital bridge between the two countries, he said.

Pakistan, he said, highly values this relationship as the UK is a major trading partner and aid giver to Pakistan. The prime minister particularly appreciated the role of the DFID, which has truly been a strategic partner in Pakistan’s development and progress. He, however, said Pakistan needs Britain’s help in getting access to international markets especially its support in concluding a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

The prime minister apprised Ms Margaret Beckett of President Pervez Musharraf’s initiative on the Middle East and his efforts to resolve the Palestine issue. The president visited several countries in this connection where his initiative was well received and has elicited positive response, he said.

He also apprised Ms Beckett of the OIC foreign ministers’ recent meeting in Islamabad and its efforts to resolve the various problems facing the Middle East.

About the situation in the country, the prime minister said that all elements of a functioning democracy are in place in Pakistan. He said the media is totally free and there are no restrictions on political activity and the opposition is active both within and outside the parliament. The general elections in the country will be held in a free and transparent manner and all political parties will be free to contest them. The elections will also be open to inspection by the national and international observers and representatives of the media, he said.

Giving an overview of the economy, the prime minister said that Pakistan has been transformed in the last seven years during which the size of the economy and per capita income has doubled. He said Pakistan is fast emerging as a destination of choice for investors and foreign investment reached its highest ever level of 3.8bn last year. In the first half of current year, Pakistan has already received foreign investment of over 3bn dollars and by the end of the current financial year it is expected to cross 5bn dollars, he added. He said that Pakistan wants British private sector to invest in Pakistan as it has become a regional hub of investment.

The prime minister also discussed Pakistan’s efforts to improve environment and said that Pakistan would welcome UK’s expertise in the context of climate change.

Ms Margaret Beckett appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to fight the scourge of terrorism – an objective which her country fully shares with Pakistan. She also briefed the prime minister of the proposed deployment of extra British troops in Afghanistan to strengthen the efforts to fight terrorism.

She said that the UK will continue to extend its financial support and technical expertise to Pakistan to help consolidate its economic development.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan, British Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Robert Brinkley and others.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.