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Date: 25/08/2009   

STATEMENT BY FOREIGN MINISTER ON MINISTERIAL MEETING OF FRIENDS OF DEMOCRATIC PAKISTAN  

Your Excellency

Ahmet Davutoglu

Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey and

Co-chair of the Ministerial Meeting

Distinguished Delegates

Ladies and Gentlemen,

            It is a matter of great pleasure for me to welcome, along with my brother, Foreign Minister Davutoglu, Your Excellencies and distinguished delegates to this Ministerial Meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan.

            I am grateful for your participation and for your interest and support to Pakistan.

            Turkey has always been a true friend of Pakistan. We greatly value its support and interest in the well being of the people of Pakistan.

            This is the Third Ministerial Meeting of the FODP since the launching of the Friends initiative in New York in September 2008.

            This process enables Pakistan’s close friends and partners to engage closely on a range of subject of common interest.

            It enables Pakistan to share our perspectives on the important developments impacting us and our region.

            We value the understanding and support of the friends for Pakistan. We also value our partnership in devising programmes and projects, which are feasible and mutually beneficial.

            The Tokyo Ministerial was an important milestone. It laid down broad parameters of the Process and identified key sectors of cooperation.

            It was a strong endorsement by the friends of our vision to make Pakistan an anchor of peace and stability.

            It gave a clear message of moral, material and political support for our people. It acknowledged the great sacrifices made by the Pakistani people in confronting the menace of terrorism and extremism.

            Next month we look forward to the holding of the first FODP Summit which President Obama, Prime Minister Brown and President Zardari will jointly host on 24 September in New York. I thank His Excellency Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for graciously accepting to present his assessment based on the conclusions of this Ministeriıal Meeting.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

            During the short span of six decades, Pakistan’s strength and the resilience of its people has been tested many a time. Each time, we have emerged victorious.

            Today, the world and in particular our region are faced with the spectre of terrorism and extremism.

            Pakistan is determined to eliminate these evils from its soil, as they are alien to our ethos. The entire nation is united in its determination to root out the menace by a comprehensive and effective strategy.

            A strong Pakistan on the path to development and prosperity is the strongest bulwark against all such retrograde forces.

            In these defining times, we cannot and must not allow our vision of the twenty-first century to be predicated on ideologies of hate, intolerance, and violence against innocent persons.

            In a globalized world, we must work collectively to promote harmony within and between nations.

            We must chart for ourselves a trajectory for building peace, stability and prosperity.

Excellencies,

            In the past year and a half Pakistan has made an impressive transition to democracy.

            Today, Pakistan has a sovereign Parliament, an independent judiciary, a free media, and a vibrant civil society.

            Our nation is united, as never before. We have registered success in fight against terror. Within a short span of eight weeks our armed forces and law enforcing agencies defeated the militants and terrorists in Swat and Malakand.

We have through national efforts dealt effectively with the issue of over 2 million displaced persons. Most of them are now returning to their homes.

We are proud of our success and the courage and generosity of our people and state institutions and the efficacy of the national resolve to convert all challenges into new opportunities for advancement.

            Pakistan’s economic fundamentals are positive.

            We have tremendous potential for economic growth. Our demography is right, our national resources immense, our people are talented. We are an emerging market, strategically placed to benefit our region and the world.

            We have arable land of nearly 200,000 square kilometres, with an irrigation system rated among the most advanced in the world.

            Pakistan is among the leading producers of cotton and milk.

            Our mineral wealth includes large reserves of natural gas, gold, copper, salt and coal, many yet untapped.

            Our roads, rail and ports link the vast Eurasian heartland to the world.

These strengths add up to an immense potential and a great promise.

            A promise that can best be realized by harnessing public-private sector synergies and promoting trans-regional development cooperation.

            We wish to bring into play, the judicious mix of capital, technology and the expertise of the corporate world.

            Our democratic Government has the will, resolve and the vision to realize this great promise.

            This is the vision of our Great Leader, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah; the vision of

            A democratic Pakistan;

            A Pakistan of equal and abundant opportunity;

            A pluralistic Pakistan enriched by its inherent diversity;

            A progressive and forward looking country, which is an anchor of stability for the region and the world;

            Whose citizens can thrive in peace and in harmony as an integral part of a global fraternity.

            We are committed to strengthening our democracy, improving our governance and enhancing our institutional capacities.

            We are committed to equipping ourselves to deliver better.

            This is, and will remain, an endeavour owned and driven by Pakistan and Pakistanis.

            We believe that by partnering with the international community, our shared goals for progress and development will be significantly advanced.

Excellencies,

            Not long ago terrorists and extremists sought to take hostage Swat, one of Pakistan’s most attractive tourism destinations, a place of breathtaking natural beauty, and the abode of a hospitable and tolerant people.

            Cross-regional flow of narco-money and munitions allowed them to force a foothold in our Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Malakand.

            The law enforcement action in Swat and Malakand was a watershed in our struggle against terrorism and extremism.

            With the full might at their command, the people of Pakistan, its democratic government, its political parties, its civil society and its armed forces closed ranks, stood united and drew a line.

            At great sacrifice, an area one-third the size of the United Kingdom was cleared with no support for outside.

            This was the result of our national effort.

            Our valiant people have paid the cost in lives, in loss of property and displacement.

            Bearing the burden of such a large caseload of the displaced was a daunting task.

            $ 800 million have been committed from our own resources, of which $ 200 million have already been spent.

            A Special Support Group was set up to coordinate relief effort with the Provincial Government in the lead.

            32 camps were established, more than 100,000 tons of food disbursed, and schools and vocational centres for over 50,000 students set up.  The local people extended hospitality to over 80% of the dislocated.  This was truly heart warming.

            We appreciate the support we received from our partners.

            We would like the pledges made for the displaced to be realized at the earliest.       

            The relief phase has now given way to facilitated rehabilitation, with nearly half the 2.3 million displaced, already having returned.

            Grants of Rs. 25,000 are being disbursed to each family to start their lives afresh.

            But this is not enough.

            Rebuilding two million livelihoods, and the destroyed infrastructure is the challenge we now face.

            It is a challenge that is to be addressed through our own national effort.

            We aim to return to the people of Swat, their peace, their pastures and their pristine valleys.

            Our vision is to develop Swat as the Switzerland of Asia.

            We are committed to this national led effort in which the Government of the North West Frontier Province will take the lead.

            I am happy to note that the FODP is also seized of the matter.

            The Senior Officials have deliberated yesterday, the strategy for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Malakand.

            The strategy is comprehensive, integrated and multi-sectoral.

            The Malakand strategy seeks to bring together the developmental, the social and the administrative elements to rebuild the economic foundation of the region.

            It aims to re-establish the region as a tourism hub. It focuses on the youth. It focuses on service delivery for education, healthcare, and on mechanisms to prevent militants from gaining a foothold in the area again.

            The requirements of the people of Malakand have to be met urgently. For this we need quick impact projects that bring about a positive change in their lives.

            Based on lessons learnt, the Malakand template could serve as a model.  Needless to say the strategy will continue to evolve.

            Here at Istanbul our partners in FODP could join and assist the Government of Pakistan in this undertaking.

            I also urge our friends to actively participate in the working groups established by the Tokyo Ministerial in the domains of security, development, trade, energy and institutional capacity building. These sectors require urgent attention.

            We would appreciate if our friends indicate the sector, programmes and projects that interest them.

The deliberations of the Working Groups can only be meaningful if substantive discussions take place. The assistance and partnership that we seek will have to be delivered on a bilateral basis.

            Allow me to share with you our vision of the way forward for FODP.

One                 Support for Pakistan’s comprehensive strategy for development.

Two                 The FODP paradigm of assistance should be comprehensive, cost effective, coordinated and coherent.

This can only be possible if we omit intermediary costs and work with the Government agencies and institutions.

Three               Pledges made at the Tokyo Donors Meeting must be.

Four                 Market access for trade enhancement would enable Pakistan’s economy to pick up its growth momentum.

Reconstruction Opportunity Zones need to be expedited. Urgent decisions are needed on Pakistan’s request for a Free Trade Agreement with EU and pending that granting facilities under the GSP Plus arrangements.

Five                 To unleash the potential of the private sector for development, Governments should consider offering special incentives to their corporate sectors to partner with the GOP and Pakistani companies on win-win projects and ventures.

Pakistani agriculture and agro-based industry, our services sector, as well as areas of mining, energy and infrastructure development offer assured and attractive returns on investment.

Six                   Pakistan’s developmental plans for FATA and other regions need to be supported and fast tracked.

Seven              For greater focus on socioeconomic development Pakistan Development Forum needs to be relaunched and revitalızed.

Eight               Government’s capacity to cater to the requirements of the most vulnerable needs to be enhanced, including through existing mechanisms such as the Benazir Income Support Programme.

Nine                FODP must pay greater attention to people-to-people   communication.  Promoting and projecting Pakistan’s real and rich cultural heritage, while highlighting the positive contribution of the international community in Pakistan’s development must assume greater priority.

Excellencies,

            We see this Forum as a partnership based on friendship and understanding. It sends a strong message of collective support for Pakistan that we value. FODP is not a substitute to our bilateral cooperation. It is merely another means to strengthen and further upgrade our bilateral relations.

            Next month’s Summit will mark the first anniversary of the launching of the FODP initiative.

            At the Summit we look forward to a strong statement of support for Pakistan.

            Allow me to once again thank you for your participation. Our special thanks to Turkey, for co-hosting this important meeting.

            We look forward to your continued cooperation in making the FODP process a more dynamic and mutually beneficial enterprise.

            I thank you.