MADRID, Feb 25: About 20 world leaders will gather in Madrid for an international conference on terrorism coinciding with the first anniversary of the March 11 attack on Spanish commuter trains that killed 191 people.

The list of participants includes former US President Bill Clinton and the current heads of state from countries wracked by terrorist violence including Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf, according to the Spanish foundation for international relations, co-organizer of the March 8-10 event.

The Madrid Club, a group of former government officials involved in promoting democracy, will host the conference, which will adopt a plan for fighting terrorism that adheres to democratic principles, the organizers said.

The current president of the European Union, Luxembourg's prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker, and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will also come to Madrid along with the prime ministers of several European countries. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will take part in the closing of the conference.

At the same time, several demonstrations are planned on March 10-11 in memory of the victims of the attacks by Islamists, mostly Moroccans living in Spain with ties to Al Qaeda. On the morning of March 11 last year, four commuter trains were blown up by explosives a few minutes apart, killing 191 people and injuring 1,900 others. -AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Writing on the wall
27 Jul, 2026

Writing on the wall

EVERY few months, another set of figures reminds Pakistan of a painful reality. Sahil’s latest Six Months Cruel...
Still unprepared
27 Jul, 2026

Still unprepared

EVEN as Pakistan counts around 100 deaths since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, it is bracing for ...
Delayed devolution
27 Jul, 2026

Delayed devolution

THE debate over Islamabad’s reluctance to fully let go of devolved subjects has been running since 2010. But it ...
Quid pro quo
Updated 26 Jul, 2026

Quid pro quo

Accepting Israel would mean legitimising its violence against the Palestinians, as well as its neighbouring Arab states and Iran.
AI in government
26 Jul, 2026

AI in government

THE Prime Minister’s Office has announced the introduction of an AI-powered digital system and directed ministries...
Cautious optimism
26 Jul, 2026

Cautious optimism

THE latest polio surveillance figures offer some encouraging news regarding the difficult fight against polio. The...