January 17, 2003	Friday	Ziqa'ad 13, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Jan 16: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on Thursday regretted that Pakistanis living in the United States were being harassed. He said that Pakistan being the frontline state in the war against terrorism was seeking exemption from registration of its citizens under the new US laws.

Speaking at a conference on terrorism organized by the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench Bar Association, the minister observed that even those living illegally should not be unduly harassed as their cases were under scrutiny and they could be dealt with separately.

Mr Kasuri said he would leave for the US on Saturday and added that during meetings with the US authorities the issue of registration of Pakistanis would be on the top of the agenda.

Pakistan, he said, understood the problems of the United States but it should also understand the problems of Pakistan. He said that by becoming part of the US-led coalition Pakistan had saved itself because India wanted to destroy it.

He said Pakistan would not allow any foreign agency to operate on its territory and added that the presence of 10 to 15 FBI officials was “part of intelligence sharing”.

On receipt of information about a matter, he said, the FBI informed Pakistani authorities who conducted operations. Pakistan, he pointed out, was sharing intelligence with more than 50 countries.

Mr Kasuri said that terrorism could not be curbed through force and efforts should be made to find its root-cause.

He said the world should take notice of state terrorism being committed by the Indian government against Kashmiris.

The organizers had invited a large number of diplomats from the western and Muslim countries but representatives of only the USA, China and Russia turned up.

The conference, through a resolution, demanded that definition of the terrorism should not include struggle for freedom.

Chaudhry Ikram, the president of the LHCRB Bar Association, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Gen Hameed Gul, and Akram Zaki were prominent among other speakers.

DPA ADDS: Anti-American sentiments in Pakistan are having adverse effects on the Pakistanis living in the United States, Mr Kasuri said.

“Though small in numbers, the anti-American demonstrations are creating problems for Pakistanis in the US as they are conveying wrong messages as if all Pakistanis have hatred for the US,” he said at the conference.