25 April 2004	Sunday	04 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, April 24: Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has declared that Pakistan will enhance its nuclear capability and there is no question of a roll back in this regard.

"We shall maintain the competitive edge of our nuclear programme through our national means and enhance our capability both in quality and quantity," said Mr Kasuri while adressing at a function organized by the English Speaking Union of Pakistan on Saturday.

Reaffirming Pakistan's desire for conventional balance between India and Pakistan, the foreign minister nevertheless declared that Islamabad would continue to improve its nuclear programme in all dimensions.

Mr Kasuri also spoke on India-Pakistan relations, the war on terrorism, the Middle East and other dimensions of Pakistan's foreign policy.

About Pakistan's commitment to combat terrorism, he said that the recent operations in Waziristan Agency was part of Pakistan's efforts to root out terrorism from its territory. However, he said that the use of force alone would not suffice if the objective was to eliminate terrorism rather than suppressing it.

In this regard, he said, it was essential to define terrorism and focus on its root cause. He said there was a need to ensure that the fight against terrorism does not turn into a clash between the Western powers and Islamic countries. Racial profiling, targeting citizens of particular country or people belonging to a particular religion would severely jeopardize the drive against terrorism, he added.

Referring to the "widespread anger" in the Muslim world over developments in the Middle East, he rejected the "cycle of violence" in that region. He said that Pakistan supported the two-state formula and strongly condemned the target killings of Palestinian leadership and threats to President Arafat's life as well as any unilateral decision regarding the Middle East.

In the context of India-Pakistan relations, Mr Kasuri said that the long standing issue of Kashmir appeared as a challenge to the international community.

Earlier in the day while delivering keynote address at a seminar on "Peace and friendship in South Asia" organized by the Rotary International, the minister expressed hope that resumption of composite dialogue with India would lead to a peaceful settlement of all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, to the satisfaction of both sides while keeping in view the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

He was confident that the constructive dialogue would promote progress towards the common objective of peace, security and economic development of the region.

"Over the past several decades, the security and economic stability of our region was held hostage to the tension between India and Pakistan," he said and added, "increasing defence budgets are sucking away precious economic resources."

This had created a climate that would overwhelm any pursuit for effective realization of economic and social rights of South Asian people, who constitute 40 per cent of the world's poorest people, he added.

The foremost priority at this stage, he said, should be to resolve major differences between the two countries to move forward as a cohesive and cooperative region.

"The governments cannot, and must not, avoid the responsibility of demonstrating the necessary political will to eliminate the root causes of suspicion and misperception (in the region)," said Mr Kasuri.

He termed the 12th Saarc Summit held in Islamabad a turning point in the endeavours of South Asian states for promoting peace and prosperity among their peoples.

Supporting the Bonn Process and efforts by Afghan President Hamid Karzai for reconstruction of his war-ravaged country, the minister said, "A peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan is vital to Pakistan's national security, economic and political interest."

Mr Kasuri also spoke on Pakistan's relations with China, the US and the Muslim world.