RAWALPINDI, March 4: President All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference Sardar Attiq Ahmad Khan on Tuesday underlined the need for foreign policy overhaul in the existing situation.

“The foreign policy needs to be given a new direction. There is a need for reforms. It is need of the hour to take new initiatives in the foreign policy in order to make new friends in the comity of the nations. This will also give Pakistan an edge over India and other countries,” Mr Attiq told reporters at a press conference here.

He was giving details of his six-week tour of America and other western countries.

Mr Attiq said during his trip, he held meetings with about 21 key leaders, senators, congressmen and policy-makers in America and the UK including US former president Bill Clinton, defence secretary Colin Powell, under secretary of defence Dov S. Zakheim, senators Russeld Feingold, Jhon Simpson, Kevin Parker, congressmen Ginny Brown Waite, James C. Greenwood, Nancy L. Johnson, Steven R. Rothman, director South Asia, national security council, USA, and members of British Parliament Lord Nazir, Feuna Magnakat, Lord Bhatia, lord mayor Raja Salim Khan and others.

He said during his meetings with leading figures and businessmen in the West, he felt shortcomings in Pakistan’s foreign policy. He also criticised the working of Pakistani missions abroad, PIA staff and personnel of foreign branch offices of Pakistani banks. He said it was the need of the hour to tune the country’s foreign policy to the prevailing situation.

The Muslim Conference leader said America and Britain had now understood the Kashmir issue in its true perspective and realised the dangers tied to it, if not resolved peacefully.

He suggested to the government of Pakistan to recognise Israel. There is no harm in it, as Israel is the only democratic state in Middle East, he said.

He said he also discussed the registration issue and stressed on Pakistanis living there to fully respect the laws of the countries they were based in. America and Britain are not like Baitul Mall to get benefits from and also violate their laws, he joked. We will have to accept the laws there to make ourselves acceptable, he noted.