NEW YORK, July 13: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has told US administration officials that military force alone should not be used as a weapon against terrorism.

Addressing a huge partisan gathering at the Pakistan consulate in New York, he said that while Pakistan would not hesitate to use force against militants but this war had to be fought with the help of people, by “winning hearts and minds”.

He observed that a multi-pronged approach combining political engagement with social reforms could effectively fight the menace.

Qureshi apprised the audience of developments in Pakistan since the emergence of the elected government, the acute problems it was facing, especially the rise of extremism in some parts of the country, the economic difficulties caused by escalating oil prices that spawned inflation and the issue of judges.

He received huge applause when he said the PPP government believed in an independent judiciary and that the judges deposed in the wake of the imposition of emergency would be restored. “We respect your wishes”, he told the community members who asked a number of questions on the issue.

“Just be patient and bear with us .... We will bring them (judges) back with respect and honour.”

As regards the implications for Pakistan of a UN probe into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he said the commission’s terms of reference would be carefully drafted so that the inquiry does not become “unnecessarily intrusive”.