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| November 20, 2006 | Monday | Shawwal 27, 1427 |
Helicopters for anti-drug operation
ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday announced that his country would deliver two MI 17 helicopters to Pakistan’s anti-narcotics forces in April 2007 to use in anti-smuggling operations, particularly along the country’s border with Afghanistan.
This was reflected in a joint declaration issued after President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s meeting with Prime Minister Blair in Lahore.
“The president welcomed the cooperation between Pakistan and the UK on counter-narcotics, and expressed the hope that it would lead to more prosecutions of high-value targets,” the joint declaration said and added: “The two leaders underlined the importance of regional cooperation in achieving lasting results.”
The two leaders reiterated their determination to counter terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestation. They agreed to support civil society and youth interaction between Pakistan and the UK to develop a unified response to this end.
They agreed to hold a joint higher education forum in Pakistan in early 2007 to discuss the education reform agenda.
“The prime minister warmly thanked the president for Pakistan’s important role in helping to foil the Heathrow bomb plot in August 2006,” it said.
Mr Blair offered President Musharraf UK’s full support in countering terrorism, including the exchanges on forensic training, investigating the financing of terrorism, and the sharing of crisis management expertise.
“Both leaders agreed to strengthen an already close and wide ranging defence relationship, including through increased high level visits and exchanges to Pakistan and the UK,” the declaration noted.
The two leaders expressed the resolve to enhance the bilateral trade. “Both leaders agreed on the need for a fair international trading regime, emphasising early revival of the WTO Doha Development Agenda. They reaffirmed the importance of bringing stability and economic progress to Afghanistan. They recognised that security was crucial to Afghanistan’s progress, and pledged to work together with the government of Afghanistan and other international partners to curb violence through effective action against militants.
The prime minister paid tribute to the statesmanship of President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in seeking to resolve outstanding issues between their countries, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He expressed the hope that the joint mechanism established at Musharraf-Manmohan talks in Havana on Sept 16 would yield concrete results.
President Musharraf and Premier Blair underlined the need for resuming the Middle East peace process at the earliest opportunity for a just and lasting settlement of the Palestine dispute.
They agreed to hold the fourth Pakistan-UK summit meeting in London in 2007 on a mutually convenient date.—Q.A.
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