Blasphemous acts endanger world security: Zardari

NEW YORK: President Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing the UN General Assembly on Tuesday evening, expressed the strongest condemnation of the acts of incitement and hate against the faith of billions of Muslims of the world and the Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

He called upon the international community not to become silent observers and criminalise acts that destroy the peace of the world and endanger world security by misusing freedom of expression. He said Pakistan moved the United Nations to immediately address in earnest this alarming concern and the widening rift to enable the comity of nations to be one again.

The president said globally Pakistan faced enormous challenges. "But with collective efforts and commitment we can provide a better future to our people. We must work to end poverty. We must work to protect the planet, and mitigate against climate change. We must ensure equal rights to all peoples, and protect the weak and vulnerable. We must pursue justice and fairness for all people. We must pursue the peaceful settlement of international disputes. We must save our current and future generations from the horrors of war," President Zardari said.

He maintained that Pakistan's engagement with the United Nations lay at the heart of these goals. "We are proud of going above and beyond the call of duty in fulfilling our international responsibilities. Pakistan has consistently been among the top UN peacekeeping troop contributors for many years. Today, over 10,000 Pakistani troops proudly wear the UN Blue Helmets in the service of our brothers and sisters around the world," the president highlighted.

He said Pakistan's election to the Security Council reflected its commitment to world peace. "It is also a vote of confidence by the international community for Pakistan and Ambassador Haroon. The UN represents our common aspirations for peace and development. However, it needs reform. The UN system must become more democratic and more accountable. Reform should be based on consensus and democratic principles," Zardari said,

He said Pakistan supported the rights of the Palestinian people and an independent Palestinian state. We also favor the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.

"There are a lot of questions that are asked of Pakistan these days," President Zardari said. "I am not here to answer questions about Pakistan. The people of Pakistan have already answered them. The politicians of Pakistan have answered them. The soldiers of Pakistan have answered them. We have lost over 7,000 Pakistani soldiers and policemen, and over 37,000 civilians."

"We have lost our Minister for Minority Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti and my friend Salmaan Taseer, the Governor of our most populous province of Punjab, to the mindset of extremism. And I need not remind my friends here today, that I bear a personal scar.

On December 27, 2007 knowing her life was under threat from the mindset she had warned the world against, Pakistan's first elected woman leader and my wife Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was martyred through the bullets and bombs of terrorists," the president added. He said terrorism and extremism had destroyed human lives, torn apart the social fabric, and devastated the economy.

"So I am not here to answer questions about Pakistan. I am here to ask some questions on behalf of my people," the president said.

He said dictators and their regimes were responsible for suffocating and throttling Pakistan, Pakistan's institutions, and Pakistani democracy. "And I remember the billions provided by the international community to support those dictatorships. My country, its social fabric, its very character has been altered. Our condition today is a product of dictatorships," President Zardari argued.

No country and no people have suffered more in the epic struggle against terrorism than Pakistan, he added. "In Pakistan, democracy has helped bring about a major strategic shift in how we view working together. Within Pakistan, our democracy has brought about major changes.

InshaAllah, this will be the first civilian government in Pakistan's 66-year history to complete its full, five year term. In this time, parliament has passed unprecedented reforms. We have restored the consensus 1973 Constitution. The National Assembly has enacted wide ranging social reforms. We have established a National Commission on Women and a National Commission on Human Rights," the president said listing his government's achievements.

We have established for the very first time a truly independent Election Commission, to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. Our media is free, uncensored and thriving. Our civil society is flourishing under the protection of democracy. We have created the first social safety net through the women of Pakistan for the weak and less privileged. Millions of families have benefitted. We have aided the poor and at the same time empowered the women of our households. This safety net is called the Benazir Income Support Programme. "These are the gifts of democracy. This is the dream of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto," Zardari said.

The president said that the growing regional pivot in Pakistan's foreign policy was a reflection of our democratic policy-making. "In engaging with our region, we are changing the future. In China, our strategic partnership is growing from strength to strength. In Afghanistan, we have begun to engage and deepen our friendship with the entire range of the Afghan political spectrum. We believe that a sovereign, stable and secure Afghanistan is good for the Afghan people. And what is good for the Afghan people is good for Pakistan," the president added, calling on the international community to support the three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan in their quest to return home with dignity.

"Similarly, we approach our relations with India on mutual trust. The contacts between our leadership are expanding. I was encouraged by my discussions with the Prime Minister of India last month in Tehran, who I met for the fifth time in four years," the president said.

He said Pakistan's principled position on territorial disputes remained a bedrock of its foreign policy. "We will continue to support the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to peacefully choose their destiny in accordance with the UN Security Council's long-standing resolutions on this matter. Kashmir remains a symbol of the failures, rather than strengths, of the UN system. We feel that resolution of these issues can only be arrived in an environment of cooperation."

The president said that Pakistan does not blame others for the challenges it faces. "We believe we should look for win-win solutions. Regional cooperation and connectivity will bring us closer and bind us together. It will make us stakeholders in each other's futures."

The president spoke against the spread and illegal trade of heroin and said despite the presence of international forces in Afghanistan, the size of the heroin trade had increased by 3000 percent in the last decade. "Terrorist activities within our region and indeed all over the world are funded and fuelled by the unrestricted production and sale of illegal drugs," he said.

President Zardari said that he had committed his Presidency and the nation's future to a paradigm shift: a permanent democratic future for Pakistan. "It has not been easy. But nothing worth fighting for is easy. We long ago stopped thinking of doing what is easy. Instead, we have committed ourselves to doing what is right," he said.