LAHORE, July 14: Former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan says Islamabad will have to achieve self-sufficiency if it wants to solve its problems.

Speaking at the Pakistan Visionary Forum here on Sunday, he said Pakistans problems were basically internal and these could be resolved by attaining self-reliance instead of looking towards others for help.

He lamented that army dictators played in the hands of imperialist forces and fought wars to their benefit.

Mr Khan said that the Western powers introduced formulas like NRO to legitimize dictatorships.

He said the share of Muslim countries in the world GDP was only five per cent whereas they produced 50 per cent of raw materials for world industries adding that 90 per cent wealth of Muslim world was lying in a few banks in the West.

He regretted that American bases were established in all Muslim countries to achieve objectives of Washington. Fifty-seven countries were made ineffective in world politics through divisions, he said.

Justice Sharif Hussain Bokhari (retired) said the civil society should raise voice against non-democratic forces in Islamic countries. He called upon the government not to support military takeover in Egypt.

Former PPP leader Qayyum Nizami said that political leaderships in the Muslim world could not deliver for a lack of character.

Forum chief Dr Muhammad Sadiq said that the forum condemned military takeover in Egypt and demanded amicable resolution of the issue through peaceful dialogues.