Terrorism more serious issue than global recession; Zardari

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday sought global support against the threat of terrorism, saying that apart from the global financial crisis, it was another serious issue haunting the world peace requiring collaborative efforts to be tackled. Making an impassioned appeal to the world

BOAO (China), April 18 :Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday sought global support against the threat of terrorism, saying that apart from the global financial crisis, it was another serious issue haunting the world peace requiring collaborative efforts to be tackled. Making an impassioned appeal to the world at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), President Zardari sought help for the country to fight the threat that has endangered it economically and also the world at large.

“Help us, help the region, in the fight against terrorism,” Zardari said in his extempore remarks as he discarded his written speech.

President Zardari who only a day earlier succeeded in getting pledges of over US five billion dollars from the international community to help country’s economy meet the challenges it faces from terrorists and militants, said the world needs to stand together to fight terrorism jointly.

“I feel that all of us . . . all of you should stand together and check everything which threatens the world economy,” he said.

President Zardari said he decided not to go for his written speech after hearing the remarks of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, wherein he asked the world to have hope despite the glum world economic outlook. He said he was inspired by the words but wanted to share his fears with the others.

The President termed the recession as an aftermath of 9/11 incident and said the issue of terrorism was affecting the region, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan, were in the eye of storm.

He said Asia and the world were interdependent and relied heavily on each other. He said with the financial crisis looming overhead, “there is another scene damping the hopes of the world.”

“The issue in the region is terrorism, that is evolving around Pakistan and Afghanistan ,” Zardari said.

He apologized for what he called “spoiling the thought process” of over a dozen leaders, 50 ministers and more than 1,600 political leaders, business people and academic scholars gathered to debate the global financial crisis and devise a strategy to address the issue that is a major threat, particularly to the growing Asian economies.

“I would fail in my duty if I don’t bring up this issue,” Zardari said.

The President thanked China for extending support to it at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum that has come to aid Pakistan to help it face its economic challenges.

Besides President Asif Ali Zardari, the event is being attended by Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, S.  Bayar Prime Minister of Mongolia, Thein Sein Prime Minister of Myanmar, Nguyen Tan Dung Prime Minister of Vietnam, Matti Vanhanen Prime Minister of Finland, Sali Berisha Prime Minister of Albania, Michael Somare Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, John Key Prime Minister of New Zealand and Parviz Davoodi First Vice-President of Iran.

The Boao Forum for Asia was established in 2001 as a platform for high-level interaction between leaders from Asia and around the world to promote the development goals of Asian countries through greater regional economic integration.

The former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, former Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and former Filipino President Fidel V. Ramos had put forward a proposal to establish a Forum for Asia in 1998. Three years later, the first BFA Annual Conference was held in Boao, Hainan Province and turned into the most active and influential forum of its kind in the region, driving dialogue and debate on Asia’s future. (APP)