Asif Ali Zardari says west invested in Pakistan’s military but not in its people

ISLAMABAD: PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that the west invested in Pakistan’s weapons and military but not in its people with the result that the international community had to pay a terrible price for using Pakistan for its short-term political objectives. “We were exploited under colonialism, manipulated as a tool of cold war intrigue, made into surrogate for a war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and when that war was won, Pakistan and Afghanistan were abandoned to the forces of extremism and fanaticism”, he said in his key note address at the Socialist International Congress in Athens, Greece, on Tuesday.
He said that Pakistan was now the Petri dish of international terrorism and that was a product of failed international politics and not our creation.
The PPP leader said Pakistan could still be converted into a successful model of modernity for 1.3 billion Muslims on earth for which the help of the international community was needed.
“We can’t do it alone. We need the help of the world. If we succeed, we will contain extremism and terrorism. But if we fail, the world will fail with us”.
Asif Ali Zardari urged the world to convene a South and Central Asia Regional Conference to coordinate a multi-faceted international programme to not only contain terrorism militarily, but to choke off the social and economic oxygen of the fire of terrorism by rebuilding the economies and infrastructure of our region.
A prosperous Pakistan will smash the remnants of terrorism from our frontiers better than the bullets, missiles and tanks of the super-powers, he said.
Pleading for the socio economic development of Pakistan he said that it will ensure not only Pakistan’s but also the entire world’s stability.
He said that Pakistan stood against terrorism not as surrogates but as partners to the civilized world because we are fighting for the very soul of Pakistan adding that Pakistan had suffered more victims of terrorism than any nation on earth, including the United States on September 11th.
“Has the UN, or the United States, or the United Kingdom, contributed one cent to the victims of terrorism in our land”?
The PPP leader said people of Pakistan have confidence and hope in their future and it was imperative to address their long neglected social, economic and infrastructure needs.
“We will restore law and order to our land and attack fanaticism and terrorism wherever it rears its ugly head”.
The PPP Co-Chairman said that the government in Pakistan plans to bring economic, political and social transformation of the tribal areas - the hotbed of terrorist activity, and integrate these areas into the mainstream of Pakistani society.
He said that Pakistan was facing a looming energy and water crisis that threatened its resurgence. He said that to meet the challenge the government will create 2,200 new megawatts of power this year alone and tackle the water issue on an emergency basis reducing water consumption by one half.
He said that education had been made a high priority “not just because it is right, but also because it is in the long term strategic interests of Pakistan and the world”.
About the political madrasas and education curriculum he said, “In Pakistan political madrasas have spread hatred and intolerance. We will move to provide a uniform and responsible national curriculum, both for public and seminary education, so that the children of Pakistan have an opportunity for the future free of intimidation and coercion. And if political madrasas will not conform to the national curriculum, we will shut them down.”
He said that Shaheed Mohtarma Bhutto’s life was taken away from her but no one can take away her dreams and her vision that inspired the entire world. Men and women can be killed but great ideas are immortal, he said.