News
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Only military action not enough against militancy: Zardari
* President says provision of economic opportunities in FATA, countering militants’ philosophy more important than military action
* Drone attacks proving counterproductive
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said the battle against militancy was multidimensional and the use of military force was only one component of it, the other components being economically empowering the people of Tribal Areas and waging an intellectual battle against militants’ philosophy.
Speaking after attending a meeting between the president and a US congressional delegation led by Senator Mark Udall at the Presidency, the president’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said that matters relating to Pak-US bilateral relations, mutual cooperation, fight against militancy and security situation in the region among other related issues were discussed in the meeting.
Babar said the president, during the meeting, said that the Pakhtuns of Tribal Areas and Pakhtunkhwa were tenacious fighters, but they were also enterprising entrepreneurs, adding that the international community needed to provide economic opportunities to the war-ravaged people and bolster indigenous capabilities to confront militancy.
In this context, Zardari underscored the need for the early adoption of ROZ legislation and asked the visiting US senators to use their influence in the Senate for removing the hurdles in the way of this legislation, which he described as critical to the economic empowerment of the people.
Zardari reiterated that increasing drone attacks were turning counterproductive because issues of sovereignty were involved. He said that drones would be far more effective and acceptable to the people if these were flown and operated by Pakistan’s forces under the Pakistani flag, adding that there was a need to enhance trust, cooperation and coordination at the strategic, policy and operational levels.
The president, appreciating US support for security, progress and prosperity of Pakistan, said that the recent gestures of the US government for the people of flood-affected people were appreciated and would contribute towards improving US perception among the public and mitigating the trust deficit. He said the recent devastation caused by the floods had adversely impacted economic development of the country owing to heavy expenditures on relief efforts and that international assistance was much needed, not only to support the country’s economy, but also to prevent financial constraints from impacting fight against militancy. The president appreciated US support for securing enhanced market access in the European Union and emphasised on support for Pakistan’s case at the WTO.
The president also emphasised on the early reimbursement of CSF arrears, saying that this was more crucial in the wake of recent massive flooding that had caused a financial crunch.
Discussing the regional situation, Zardari said that Pakistan had an abiding interest in a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan and it firmly believed in neutrality and non-interference in internal affairs of the neighbouring country. However, the president said, “We will continue to support all efforts for promoting sustainable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan.” The president said that Pakistan believed that political approach and not just a military approach alone, supported by economic development, was vital for bringing stability to Afghanistan.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk