All help to eradicate terrorism - Pakistani FM

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Quereshi on Thursday (July 24) declared in ondon that Pakistan is maintaining “excellent” relations with Sri Lanka, the Indian Ocean island republic.

Speaking to a packed house in the larger hall of the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London the Pakistan Foreign Minister said Sri Lanka will receive all help the country’s government need to eradicate the terrorist menace.

During the morning sessions of the Institute the Pakistani Foreign Minister spoke on the “Imperatives for Peace and Prosperity in South Asia-Pakistan’s Perspective.” Dr. John Chapman was in the Chair.

The Pakistani Foreign Minister said that his country was playing an active role in the international campaign against terrorism as a frontline State and the country has been a victim of terrorism for decades and their counter terrorism efforts predated the events of 9/11.

“Our commitment to fight terrorism has been unswerving notwithstanding the threats terrorism poses today and the terrorist attacks Pakistan has had to face due to principled position,” he said addressing the audience.

Also, he pointed out that from last year the country had suffered thousands of casualties in various terrorist incidents across Pakistan.

“In the armed confrontation with the militants more than a thousand of Pakistani soldiers had sacrificed their lives”, he added.

The Foreign Minister said that Pakistan’s message to terrorists was clear and unequivocal. He said his government would not allow their territory to be used by terrorists and they would not be daunted by the threats of terrorism.

He said the country has subscribed to a comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism that included political, economic and military measures to find immediate and long term solutions to the problem. He said Pakistan wished to address the root causes of terrorism and to suppress it for the long term.

Taking part on the same day, in the same institute but on a separate panel discussion Indian diplomat G. Parathasarathy said “India paid its price for backing the LTTE” and “We have learnt our lesson” for backing the terrorist group”.

Parathasarathy was an Indian diplomat who was in the thick of it when India tried to mediate a solution for the Sri Lankan crisis during the Rajiv Gandhi era.

During the discussion when allegations were made about India’s Research and Analysis (RAW) interfering in Pakistan, Parathasarathy bluntly said what he has learnt in his diplomatic career is some of the intelligence services were not intelligent at all.

(Courtesy: defence.lk)