International community urged to rescue Pakistan from brinkmanship

Kaira states Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism.

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Thursday urged the international community to rescue Pakistan from brinkmanship.

“The international community should come forward to help Pakistan tackle a multitude of crises it is facing currently, as the stability of Pakistan is not only pivotal for peace in the region but also for the whole world.”

He said this while speaking at the launching ceremony of the think tank- Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies (CPGS)- at a local hotel.

Kaira praised CPGS President Senator Sehar Kamran for taking the initiative for such a think tank, saying it will help send “our narrative to gulf countries and vice versa”.

“Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism and is being blamed for harboring terrorism, which is unfortunate, and much of this has been imposed on us, we did not create it,” the minister said.

“When Russians invaded Afghanistan, we were used as a proxy by western powers. They left the land, leaving a trail of destruction behind them,” he said.

“This is the time for the same powers to come forward to rescue Pakistan,” Kaira said.

“Who funded madrassas of Pakistan at that time to use them for their proxy war?” he asked, adding, “Now we need the support of the same community to fight against the mindset, nurtured by them.”



Earlier, Chairman Advisory Board of the CPGS, General (retd) Ehsanul Haq, termed the launching of the think tank a “long overdue initiative”. “I am confident that it would effectively advance the common goals.”

Member advisory board of the CPGS and Chairman Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies, Major-Gen (retd) Dr Anwar bin Majed bin Anwar Eshki said that the US was strong not because of weapons, but due to its strategic centres.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2013.