Pakistan proposes ad-hoc working group for NAM

President Zardari calls for greater unity among NAM members to deny space for unilateral actions.

TEHRAN: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday proposed establishing an ad-hoc Working Group to forge a common vision for new challenges and the role of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) in the 21st century.

Addressing 16th NAM Summit here, he said the NAM Chair‚ in consultation with other members of Troika may chart out a strategy for this purpose. Pakistan, Zardari said, would be happy to actively contribute to strengthening of NAM. However, he did not discuss the proposed eight-point plan which aims to reinvigorate the NAM.

The President said the world is witnessing a historic transformation which calls for adhering to principles of United Nations Charter and values of multilateralism. Solutions to complex problems must be based on dialogue and consensus. "The more we cooperate more the space for unilateral action is reduced," he observed.

Stressing need for harmony‚ tolerance, respect for diversity‚ President Zardari said Pakistan has tried it in its domestic politics and found great promise in inter-state relations. "We are a peace loving country and seek peaceful‚ stable and prosperous neighborhood through enhanced economic cooperation and peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes."

Zardari said Pakistan is engaged in comprehensive dialogue with India and looks forward to find peaceful solution to all outstanding issues‚ including Jammu and Kashmir.

He said destinies of Pakistan and Afghanistan are interconnected and both suffered from prolonged conflict in Afghanistan for past three decades. Pakistan is fully committed to promote durable peace, stability in Afghanistan and continue to support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process. Pakistan hopes world community‚ while planning withdrawal from Afghanistan‚ would also take into account repatriation of Afghan refugees to their homeland.

The President said Pakistan is deeply concerned on continued bloodshed in Syria. He called for an immediate stop to the death and destruction in Syria, and for the Syrian regime to respect the democratic aspirations of the people.

Zardari reiterated that Pakistan fully supports right to self-determination of Palestinian people. The establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state, he termed, is critical to peace.

On terrorism‚ he said it was a global threat but no country has suffered so much from it as Pakistan, lost more than 40,000 innocent lives and suffered huge economic losses worth US$80 billion. He said fighting terrorism is a complex issue and defeating extremism calls for an effective counter narrative.

He spoke of close relations Pakistan enjoys with African states and lauded its leaders' role in meeting challenges. Pakistan continued to support UN peace efforts by contributing to UN peace keeping programs.