February 1, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 2, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, Jan 31: International politics is in its transitional phase and multilateralism would be the future international order, said speakers at “Hamdard Thinkers Forum” here on Tuesday.

Former foreign secretary and PML leader Akram Zaki said that a new international order was in the process of making and Pakistan will have to hammer out an innovative foreign policy to cope with the changes.

The United States is out to perpetuate its imperialistic designs in the world but many power centres were challenging it, he said and added that the US was bent on redrawing even the geography of certain regions in the Muslim world but the resistance in Iraq and Afghanistan had checked its ambitions.

The victory of Hamas in Palestinian elections and demands for withdrawal of US troops from Central Asia indicate the change in direction, Mr Zaki said. He said there was big chasm between the rulers and the ruled in the Muslim world and stressed giving political rights to the people to bridge this gap.

India was strengthening its strategic relationship with the US and the latter also needed Pakistan for its sway in the region, Mr Zaki said and added Pakistan should formulate a new policy to cope with the changes in the region.

Former ISI chief Hamid Gul said that the US was a global power but the resistance against it was also global.