ISTANBUL: President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday emphasised the need for evolving comprehensive policies and international cooperation to counter terrorism and extremism.
“Recent tragic incidents, from Brussels to Lahore and from Paris to Ankara, have once again reminded us that terrorism is global phenomenon that is not confined to any country, region, nationality, creed or ethnicity,” the president said while addressing the 13th Islamic Summit of OIC being hosted by Turkey.
Reiterating Pakistan’s stance, he said, “We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Our counter terrorism operation Zarb-e-Azb is successfully progressing towards the goal of eliminating all terrorists.”
“We must all hold fast together and resolve our differences through consultations amongst ourselves. We are proud inheritors of a civilisation that was a trailblazer in science and technology, art and culture and philosophy. Sadly, today we are suffering, in many parts, from underdevelopment, illiteracy and backwardness. Collectively, we need to focus on reclaiming our roles as harbingers of positive change. We must establish peace in our own societies, promote respect for differing views and curb any tendency to impose our views on others,” he added.
He said Pakistan attaches high importance to the freedom of expression but “we stand equally committed to the concern, shared by OIC member states, that it should not be misused to attack or hurt people’s sentiments or religious beliefs”.
The president also stressed the need to find just resolutions of the disputes of Kashmir and Palestine. “It is unfortunate that from amongst us, some dark forces harbouring detestable notions, are trampling on fundamental human values. Our hearts bleed when they seek to justify their brutality in the name of our noble religion,” he maintained.
Referring to the relations with India, he said, “Despite odds, we hold on to the hope that our desire for peace would be reciprocated. We look forward to an uninterruptible, sustained and result oriented dialogue with India.”
Highlighting the Afghan issue, he said, “Pakistan desires lasting peace in Afghanistan, which could only be achieved through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process.”
The president said that the OIC 2025 Programme of Action, the member states would adopt at the Istanbul summit, was the first step towards realisation of their joint commitment of making progress on the 18 identified priority areas.