23 October 2004	Saturday	08 Ramazan 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: Pakistan Muslim League has said that it believes in peaceful co-existence in the region and condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestation anywhere in the world.

This was stated by PML secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain at a briefing for Islamabad-based diplomats at the party secretariat here on Friday. The PML secretary-general further said that the military operation in the tribal areas against terrorists was going on successfully and would continue till elimination of the menace.

Diplomats from 38 countries, including United States, Russia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Australia, India, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, Germany and South Korea attended the session.

The PML Information Secretary and Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Senator Tariq Azeem took part in the briefing. Mr Mushahid spoke on the consolidation and continuity of government policies, relationship with India with reference to the ongoing composite dialogue, Pakistan's pivotal role in the conduct of presidential elections in Afghanistan and human rights status in Pakistan.

He also briefed the diplomats about the hearing of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs which heard the media persons, who recently visited the Indian occupied Kashmir for the first time, about their account of the visit.

The report about this visit will be published shortly, he added. While briefing the diplomats, Senator Azeem said the PML believed in real democratic norms. The present government has always invited the opposition forces to develop wider consensus on national issues but they always rejected it and resorted to undemocratic tactics to create hurdles in the process of strengthening the institutions.

Later, at the question-answer session the diplomats raised various questions including the ongoing Pakistan-India composite dialogues, schedule for local bodies elections, government's reported contacts with opposition, the Okara farms tenants position and the setting up of human rights commission.