ISLAMABAD: Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday underlined the need for a result-oriented debate by the different political forces to help the country face its current national challenges.
In an interaction with the media at Meet the Press programme here at the National Press Club, he said that Pakistan’s problems can be converted into opportunities but for that national unity was necessary.
“Consensus upon all important national issues is the only way forward. But unfortunately there has never been a serious debate in this regard,” he said. Referring to the problems of energy crisis, inflation, unemployment and poverty Shah Mehmood Qureshi pointed out that these problems are not new. He said that PPP-led government after coming into power had taken steps to resolve these problems.
He said during his tenure as foreign minister he worked for normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan without compromising upon core issues. Similarly, he said he had been trying to develop Pakistan’s ties with the US on a long-term partnership basis. “But unfortunately, the Davis Raymond case brought all those efforts to square one,” he added.
He said there was a realisation among the Pakistani people that US attitude towards Pakistan was somewhat discriminatory adding, “Without bridging the trust deficit, the US-Pakistan relations can not be turned into solid ties.”
To a question he said President Asif Ali Zardari initiated and followed the reconciliation policy as espoused by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. However, such a policy can only succeed if it is reciprocal, he said while referring to the expulsion of PPP ministers from the Punjab government. (The News)
In an interaction with the media at Meet the Press programme here at the National Press Club, he said that Pakistan’s problems can be converted into opportunities but for that national unity was necessary.
“Consensus upon all important national issues is the only way forward. But unfortunately there has never been a serious debate in this regard,” he said. Referring to the problems of energy crisis, inflation, unemployment and poverty Shah Mehmood Qureshi pointed out that these problems are not new. He said that PPP-led government after coming into power had taken steps to resolve these problems.
He said during his tenure as foreign minister he worked for normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan without compromising upon core issues. Similarly, he said he had been trying to develop Pakistan’s ties with the US on a long-term partnership basis. “But unfortunately, the Davis Raymond case brought all those efforts to square one,” he added.
He said there was a realisation among the Pakistani people that US attitude towards Pakistan was somewhat discriminatory adding, “Without bridging the trust deficit, the US-Pakistan relations can not be turned into solid ties.”
To a question he said President Asif Ali Zardari initiated and followed the reconciliation policy as espoused by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. However, such a policy can only succeed if it is reciprocal, he said while referring to the expulsion of PPP ministers from the Punjab government. (The News)
