The strong-worded message, delivered at the Pakistan Development Forum by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, shows a lack of trust between Islamabad and other allies in the war on terror.
“Sorry for being undiplomatic…even if you cannot give us funds, give us moral support and do not ask us to do more as we have already sacrificed so many lives and spent billions of dollars on the war against terror,” said Malik.
“If the world thinks that Pakistan and Afghanistan are in trouble and they are safe, it is wrong,” he said, calling upon the international community to help Pakistan to fight the war on terror. “I request you, not for Pakistan’s sake but for the sake of world peace to help Pakistan,” he added.
The world is complaining that Pakistan is not doing enough to deal with extremists, while Islamabad is of the view that it has rendered sacrifices more than anybody in the world but has been deprived of the needed support.
Chief Minister Hoti also came hard on the donors, saying that the world should not pressure Pakistan for a military offensive in the North Waziristan tribal region.
“As far as (launching an offensive in the) North Waziristan is concerned, the international community should leave that to us. The timing and strategy will be decided by Pakistan’s government and army,” he said. “The Malakand operation was launched without the world support and we produced excellent results.”
The international community is mounting pressure on Pakistan to go after the Haqqani network based in North Waziristan.
In recent months the world diverted its attention from the war on terror and its impact on the K-P, he said. “For the people of Khyber-Pakthunkhwa the war on terror is as important as anything else.” He said that despite floods the war on terror remained a top priority of his government.
K-P Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani said the only way to change the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas is to change it from a rural to an urban society and that requires international assistance.
Hoti said his province needs Rs107 billion for overcoming losses caused by flood and Malakand operation and that they are facing a shortfall of Rs59 billion.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2010.
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