LAHORE, March 11: Sticking to his ‘mantra’, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said “honest and visionary leadership” is the only answer to the problems afflicting the country. Speaking on “Pakistan’s internal and external problems” at a sitting organised by Tech Club here on Friday, Mr Qureshi said it’s time honest people came forward and tackled the issues related to law and order, energy, food and population.

“There are honest and good people in every party and society and they will have to play their role in rescuing Pakistan.

What we need is the right man at the right job,” he said.

The former minister, who indirectly blamed his ouster on the Raymond Davis affair, said it would be a blessing in disguise if the US aid was stopped. It would thus provide a chance to Pakistan to stand up on its feet while keeping its head high, he said.

He regretted that the US was threatening Pakistan with stringent sanctions despite the fact that its national committed the wrong. He said the US should realise that Pakistan also was a “sovereign state”. All good work of building bridges with the US he had done during the last three years had been affected by the Davis episode, was his lament.

He also claimed credit for managing resumption of talks with India. “The prime minister told me that India has agreed to resume dialogue on our terms,” he said, adding he never agreed to hold talks with the neighbouring country without highlighting the issues Pakistan was interested in.He said people should send honest men to parliament and reject those who failed to deliver.

“The people of my constituency should not vote for me if I haven’t done them any good,” he said.

Change, he said, was necessary in the country and the civil society would have to play a catalyst’s role in this regard.

He underscored the need for exploring coal and other resources in Tharparkar and Balochistan to meet the energy crisis.

Mr Qureshi said the educated people were not coming in the civil service. “There is a need to bring about reforms in the civil service structure,” he added.