Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told a gathering at Pakistan's National Defence University Wednesday that terrorism could only be ended by resolving the root problems that cause it, not by "shock and awe" warfare.
He suggested a comprehensive, "Marshall Plan"-type program, where those people most effected are given a stake in their own development.There must be respect for human rights and fundamental freedom because the denial of justice, torture, humiliation and collateral damage can only be counterproductive.
We need to adopt a holistic approach to address a conflict situation by providing hope and opportunity to the people, engaged in reconstruction and rehabilitation and provide employment opportunities.
We must remove all hurdles and obstacles to development programmes, especially in conflict situations.
Meanwhile, Dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf's difficulties have provided an opening for a pre-coup Prime Minister. Benazir Bhutto has announced she will return to Pakistan sometime this year, despite threats to her safety, from the government as weel as from terrorists.
I realise I can be arrested. I realise that like the assassination of Philippines Senator Benigno Aquino in Manila in August 1983, I can be gunned down on the airport tarmac when I land. After all, Al-Qaida has tried to kill me several times, why would we think they wouldn't try again as I return from exile to fight for the democratic elections they so detest?
But I do what I have to do, and I am determined to return to fullfil my pledge to the people of Pakistan to stand by them in their democratic aspirations.
Al Qaida terrorist bomber Ramzi Yusef, one of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers, and a man with longstanding ties to the Pakistan intelligence services, ISI, allegedly made several attempts on Bhutto's life in the a993 Pakistan election campaign.
Meeting with her formal rival -- now ally against Musharraf -- Nawaz Sharif, she told the former Prime Minister that she made no deal with Musharraf to guarantee her safety on her return. Musharraf has called for "elections" soon, but has barred both Bhutto and Sharif.
2 comments:
Even though this is unrelated to your latest update, it leads to a youtube clip of how the GOP still has some seats in Congress...
http://www.candorville.com/wordpress/2007/04/11/amnesia-2/
Yes, the link seems ridiculous, but that's how I found out about it, and now you can comment back on it.
Both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were elected twice and rejected twice. Now under the constitution of Pakistan a person can only have two terms in the office of the president or the prime minister. I think its time for Benazir and Nawaz Sharif to save themselves and more importantly to Pakistanis the trouble of seeing their third term in the office. They deal their political parties like hereditary fiefdoms. They should first hold elections within their respective political parties and then talk about national elections.
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