Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister of Sweden appreciated Pakistan’s contribution for hosting Afghan refugees in Pakistan and emphasis Pakistan and India to resolve their all outstanding problems through dialogues.

He made these remarks at public talk on “Global security challenges in the era of new geo-political realignments: European Responses”, arranged together by Center for Research and Security (CRSS) with Swedish Embassy here.

He said Pakistan and India are both nuclear states and they need a consecutive dialogue process so as they can resolve their all outstanding issues including Kashmir through diplomatic means. “Let’s hope that with the passage of time both sides will resolve their mutual problems through dialogue”, Carl remarked with hope.

Swedish former Prime Minister who is visiting Pakistan as the Special Representative of his Prime Minister affirmed Sweden’s commitment with Syrian and other refugees.

He said that Europe witnessed hundred years’ war and turmoil and now European countries living with side by side with peace. He said even during the cold war era, nuclear threat was there. But, after the disintegration of USSR it was dissolved. But now, due to situation in Ukraine a new crisis has emerged.

He said EU countries trying to tackle Syrian and other refugees’ problems. But these refugees can be threat for Europe as well and with integration policy it can be tackled. He said previously if annually two to four EU meetings were held but this year alone 12 meetings were organized after refugees’ crises. He said that more than 2.5 million people from Syria and other war affected countries are migrating to Europe and it is big challenge for the region. He said Turkey facing more refugees from Syria because it is the neighboring country.

He said that Daesh ( ISIS) is not only the threat for Syria, Libya and Iraq but also for the rest of the world.

While responding to a question he said that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries should offer more help for refugees. He said that though system of United Nations is quite strong but it cannot always deliver in global crises.

Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs praised Bildt role played as diplomat, intellectual and opinion leaders who has vast study on the complex global situation.

“At the global level the situation is characterized by flux, unpredictability and uncertainty, the regional environment in our part of the world is even more volatile”, he added.

He said that turmoil in Syria, Libya, Iraq, Yemen & Afghanistan is only the most obvious manifestation of societal impacts, arising out of a desire to engage in political engineering in traditional and tribal societies. Over the past several decades, Pakistan’s neighborhood has been marked, inter alia, by the super-power rivalry, foreign interventions, intra-regional conflict, unresolved political and territorial disputes, and a rising tide of extremism and terrorism.

Pakistan has suffered grievously from conflict and instability in Afghanistan, for decades now. Unless this cycle is decisively reversed, we would continue to bear the brunt. Instability in Afghanistan resulting from a precipitate US and NATO troop withdrawal could increase cross-border activity, flow of arms and narcotics, and influx of refugees into Pakistan. Despite provocations, including the latest US drone attack that killed the Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor, Pakistan has exercised restraint.

He said that Pakistan also working on big energy projects, such as CASA 1000 and TAPI, which will come through central Asian States to Afghanistan then Pakistan.