PESHAWAR, April 10: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said here on Thursday that his government was rightly proud of being the architect of invincible defence, strong economy and stable foreign policy during the last three years.
Addressing a grand representative tribal jirga on the lawns of the Governor’s House, he said when he took over power the economy of the country was in a shambles and the country was at the brink of bankruptcy.
Externally, the country was under tremendous diplomatic pressure besides Indian military duress, he said. But, he asserted, his government accepted both the challenges courageously and steered the country out of the quagmire.
“We have enough money now for the developmental activities because both the federal and provincial governments have been struggling hard with honesty and devotion to overcome all crises,” he said.
Referring to the dangers looming over the country’s frontiers, President Musharraf said: “We were under threat by the enemy forces who had concentrated on our borders ... but by the grace of Allah Almighty we sent our forces to repulse the enemy forces on the border. No body helped us but our valorous, courageous and determined forces faced them and made them go back.”
He extolled the professional competence of the armed forces of Pakistan, as a result of which,he said, the challenge on borders was defused.
President Musharraf, however, told the gathering that though the danger had apparently been averted: “We have to struggle constantly for our defence, strong economy and taking Pakistan forward.”
He stressed the need for peaceful settlement of over 50-year-old issue of Kashmir. “We cannot give up this issue because honourable nations do not leave their principled stand,” he said, and added: “Our nuclear capability is a guarantee for our sovereignty ... and it would be given impetus for development purposes.”
The president told the jirga that “we have to choose between the attitude of confrontation and tolerance.” The later, he said, was balanced and in the national interest.
The president said the country’s edifice of power rested on two pillars — one was the military might and the other a sound economy. “While Pakistan is militarily strong its economy is being strengthened,” he observed.
Beggar country had no status in the comity of nations and as such, he said: “We are determined to strengthen the country’s economy so that we should be a lender and not borrower country ... and we have this capability.”
In this regard, the coming three to five years were most important, President Musharraf added.
AFGHAN SITUATION: Referring to the Afghan situation, he said: “We want peace and harmony in Afghanistan which is in the larger interest of Central Asian States, Pakistan and Afghanistan itself.”
He cautioned that if complete peace did not return to Afghanistan, four million refugees would again enter into Pakistan and the investment being made by Japan and other countries there would be stopped and “our country’s economy will be under pressure again.”
He pleaded that all ethnic groups, including Pakhtoons, Uzbeks, Tajiks and Hazara, be given their due representation for stable Afghan government. After that the coalition forces should leave that country, the president added.
Referring to Al Qaeda, he said: “I do not know any Al Qaeda.” However, he asked whether any foreigner had the right to stay in Pakistan without valid documents. “Are such people involved in working for the interest of Pakistan, Islam or Islamic Ummah?”
Replying in the negative, he said: “They have their own political agenda. May it be Palestine agenda or changing the governments in their own countries. If they have political agenda, they should not use our country. Rather, they should implement their agenda in their own countries and not bother our people.”
President Musharraf told the tribesmen that “you being on the border, should tell them to leave Pakistan for their own countries.”—APP
