Rise Pakistan – Love Pakistan & be a Pakistani

DURING his candid talks with foreign journalists on Monday, COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani crystallized Pakistan’s traditional stand on Afghanistan and warmth towards people of that country.

Speaking in the backdrop of his trip to Brussels, where he put across Pakistan’s point of view on Afghan conflict, the COAS reflected sentiments of the nation by summarizing the country’s interest in the well-being of the people of Afghanistan by saying “We cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that we don’t wish for Pakistan”.

The historic remarks of the COAS once again re-affirmed Pakistan’s oft-repeated assertion that its objective was to have peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan. This is also a strong rejoinder to those who are engaged in malicious propaganda that Pakistan was part of the problem in Afghanistan. Ever since its inception, Pakistan has serious security problems emanating from across its eastern borders and it would least indulge in any activity that could destabilize its western borders as well.

In fact, destinies of people of Pakistan and Afghanistan are deeply interlinked. Pakistan has been aspiring for closer economic and commercial ties with the resource rich Central Asian Republics and has plans for establishment of energy and trade corridors with them but all of them invariably depend on a peaceful Afghanistan. Under these circumstances, Pakistan cannot be part of any plan to destabilize Afghanistan but vested interests are hatching conspiracies to malign Pakistan and create misunderstanding between the two countries. Similarly, the assessment of the Army Chief that support of the public opinion and media and resolve and capability of the Army turned the tide in the ongoing war against terror is also a clear message to the outside world that Pakistan is a peace loving country and those engaged in the propaganda on the contrary have their own vested interests in maligning Pakistan. Americans and NATO forces could not create even a semblance of peace in Afghanistan but Pakistani forces with full backing of the nation have achieved miraculous successes in military operations in Swat, Malakand and South Waziristan. We have been emphasizing in these columns that Pakistan should do its homework to present its case before the world community in a logical and argumentative manner and we are glad that the Army Chief has done that during his visit to Brussels and interaction with foreign media persons. Others in the Government too, especially those in the Foreign Office, should follow the suit.