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Pakistan completed 57
years of its existence
on August 14, 2004, in a troubled world that is beset with problems and challenges at the start of a new century and millennium. There had been expectations that the new century would be free from the conflicts and tensions of the troubled 20th century. The events of September 11 2001 have left their imprint, notably on the region where terrorism originated, which is seen to include the Mid-dle East and the Gulf region, as well as Afghanistan and adjoining areas of South and Central Asia. The sole super power occupied Afghanistan in 2001, and Iraq in 2003, and neither is stable or peaceful.
As an ideological state faithful to the ideals of Islam, and of the UN Charter, Pakistan has sought to play a positive role, to devel-op friendly relations with all countries, notably its neig-hbours and the Islamic wo-rld. Certain problems per-sisted after independence, mainly with India over the state of Jammu and Kashmir that led to conflicts and confrontation. However, Pakistan has always sought a peaceful settlement of its disputes through dialogue. From the start, credible threats from a bigger neigh-bour have compelled it to divert precious resources to build up military deterrence for. national security and survival.
A virtual arms race in South Asia has held up the progress and development of a region containing a fifth of mankind. Though Pakis-tan had to acquire nuclear deterrence after India went nuclear, Pakistan has consi-stently made efforts to keep its region free from nuclear weapons, by sponsoring a nuclear weapon free zone in South Asia regularly at the UN since 1974, when India carried out its first nuclear test.
The post 9/11 world has seen changes that are a matter of concern specially to the developing countries, and to the Muslim countries in particular, as the West tends to identify terrorism with the Islamic world. The word Islam means religion of peace, and as one of the great monotheistic religi-ons, Islam has brought cult-ure and enlightenment to large parts of the world. In facing up to the problem of terrorism, it is necessary to address its roots, rather than manifestations alone. In Palestine in particular, the rights of the Palestinian Arabs, Muslims and Chris-tians alike have been trampled with the support of the US, and nearly five milli-on of them have become refugees. If their legitimate rights are conceded, that are clearly stated in UN reso-lutions, not only durable pea-ce would come to the Middle East but resort to terrorism would disappear.
Even as the US conducts a war against terrorism, it continues to back the Sharon regime in Israel in its brutal and unjust policies towards the Palestinians. This fuels a reaction within the Arab and Islamic countries, that tends to take a violent form. The real answer to ending mass struggles in Palestine and Kashmir is to ensure implem-entation of UN resolutions that provide solutions approved by the interna-tional community.
The world having beco-me unipolar since the end of the Cold War, with the US reestablishing its military presence in the oil-rich Gulf region, there has been an increasing trend to build up military power. The US has developed the most powerful forces known in human history and its current leade-rship has shown an increa-sing tendency to rely on them rather the multilateral fora of which the US had been the main architect. The Bush administration, that assumed power at the start of the 21st century, adopted a unilater-alist approach, and utilized the terrorist attack of 9/11 to propound its doctrine of pre-emption.
The war in Iraq, launched in March 2003 under this doctrine, has taught the unilateralists around Bush certain lessons, and the need to accord a due role to the UN has been recognized. Within its constraints, Paki-stan has sought to highlight the relevance of the multil-ateral fora, and of the UN in particular, in the management of the multiple challenges facing the world on the basis of well-known principles of state relations.
While joining the war against terrorism, Pakistan has paid special attention to correcting the bias that has developed in the West about the role of Islam, and of the Islamic countries. At he last OIC Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Pakistan proposed and secured unanimous approval for a resolution to create a body to make the OIC more effective, and to project the image of enlightened modera-tion” to counter the hostility being manifested against the Islamic countries.
Pakistan’s diplomacy remains active to create an environment of peace and stability in its own neighb-ourhood, and to promote the same objectives at the global level. The immediate reaction in many parts of the world is seen to come from terrorism. Pakistan has taken a principle and has won general recogn-ition for its active contrib-ution to this cause. At the same time, Pakistan sees ser-ious risks in relying on force alone to address the underl-ying causes of terrorist and extremism. The attention of the international community needs to be focused on glar-ing instances of political and economic injustice in the world, that have led to the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor, as well as increasing distress and suffering owing to resort to state terrorism by members of the international community.
The endemic instability in the Middle East can be traced to the unjust stance by the US favouring Israel, and the situation has been further aggravated by equating the struggle of the Palestinians for their rights to terrorism. The Kashmiri freedom stru-ggle is being similarly treated Pakistan, while oppo-sing terrorism and extremism, advocates a just settlement of various problems in the crisis-ridden region peace-fully, with the direct partic-ipation of the UN.
As it enters the 58th year after independence, Pakistan is seen as a significant player to promote solutions to problems in its region as well as at the global level. The past year witnessed impo-rtant developments, such as the activation of SAARC aft-er its Summit in Islamabad, as well as the initiation of a dialogue with India. Pakistan, which is presently a member of the Security Council, also supports an enhanced role for the world organization. And in relation to the challenges confronting the Islamic Ummah, Pakistan has taken many initiatives to strengthen and revitalize the OIC.
The overall perspective of the people and government of Pakistan is that the real problems of the world are those of poverty and deprivation, mainly in the devel-oping countries Existing problems and disputes have to be addressed on the basis of principles, in order to create a global environment conducive to stability and development.
Bhatty writes from the High Commission of Pakistan, Abuja.
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