Qureshi says force not enough to root out terror: Osama hunt by US not allowed

NEW YORK - Pakistan and the United Nations would now start work on the modalities of the independent commission which Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has agreed to set up to probe into Benazir Bhutto's assassination, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Saturday as he gave the assurance that the inquiry would not be "intrusive".

He was responding to questions about the implications for Pakistan of a probe by the UN commission at a largely attended meeting of members of the Pakistani community at the Pakistan House.

"All its aspects and pros and cons were taken into consideration before making the request," Qureshi said.

The move for the probe was based on the aspirations of the people expressed in the unanimous resolutions adopted by the National Assembly and four Provincial Assemblies, he said. The people of Pakistan, he said, wanted to get to the bottom of the conspiracy to kill Ms Bhutto, who was no ordinary leader.

That's why the government sought an independent, impartial inquiry by the UN.

Closely questioned on the issue, the Foreign Minister said the commission's terms of reference would be carefully drafted so that the inquiry does not become "unnecessarily intrusive".

Responding to questions about the timeframe for the commission to complete it's work, the Foreign Minister said the intention was for it to be completed "in the shortest possible time" and not become "a lingering thing, going on for years".

Qureshi also said he had told Bush administration officials during his visit to Washington on Friday that while Pakistan will not hesitate from using force where and when required, terrorism could not be fought through military force alone.

"Our strategy is that the military option alone is not enough," he said.

"This war has to be fought besides the armies, with the help of the people, by winning hearts and minds," he said, adding that a multi-pronged approach that combined political engagement with social reforms could effectively fight the menace.

In an effort to address the apprehensions voiced by members of the community over US threats to intervene in the tribal belt, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used by any other country.

"Our concerns are known to them we believe that action in Pakistan will be taken by Pakistani troops, we cannot permit any foreign troops in Pakistan.

They are very aware of the people's sentiments."

Qureshi's address to the Pakistani community was the last engagement of his hectic five-day trip to the US during which he met the UN Secretary-General and ambassadors of the Security Council's permanent members, addressed the Council meeting on Afghanistan, conferred with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley in Washington besides a host of other engagements.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani and Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram were also present on the occasion.

The Foreign Minister spoke for more than an hour apprising the audience of the developments in Pakistan since the emergence of the elected government, the acute problems it was facing, especially the rise of extremism in some parts of the country, the economic difficulties caused by escalating oil prices that spawned inflation and the issue of judges.

He said the government was determined to overcome the problems besetting the people and set Pakistan on the path to progress and prosperity.

The audience burst into applause as Qureshi affirmed that the PPP government believed in an independent judiciary and that the judges deposed in the wake of the imposition of emergency last November would be restored.

"We respect your wishes," he told the community members who posed a number of questions on the issue. "Just be patient and bear with us ... We will bring them (judges) back with respect and honour. "

On Pak-US relations, Qureshi said Pakistan desires a more balanced, broader and longer-term relationship with the US.

"For too long our bilateral relationship has hinged heavily on co-operation in security areas, but luckily there is a clear realisation from both sides that we need to expand our co-operation across a broad spectrum from agriculture to trade, energy and education," he added.

He said the relationship should move away from the "cyclical" pattern of the past. "We want a more stable approach. We have been too focused on military-to-military co-operation and on individuals," he stated. The U.S. must now work with Pakistani institutions.

Qureshi said the government in Pakistan is seeking a "partnership" with the US and wants tangible signs that the Bush administration will increase aid and embrace Pakistani democracy.

He paid tributes to members of the Pakistani community for the contributions to their homeland's  economic and political development. "You are the ambassadors of Pakistan in this country and we look forward to your work in projecting the true image of the country."

Earlier, Ambassador Haqqani welcomed the Foreign Minister and used the occasion to urge the community member to shun their differences and speak with one voice. "Unity among you is the need of the hour", he said.

Monitoring Desk adds: Qureshi has ruled out allowing military personnel from the United States, or any other foreign country, in Pakistan to hunt for Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda.

Qureshi said that the country's new government had not permitted any such operation in the regions bordering Afghanistan and never would.

"Our government's policy is that our troops, paramilitary forces and our regular forces are deployed in sufficient numbers. They are capable of taking action there. And any foreign intrusion would be counter-productive," Aljazeera quoted Qureshi as saying in an interview with an American news agency.

"People will not accept it. Questions of sovereignty come in." Qureshi acknowledged that 'there are some infiltrations' still occurring, but he said no covert US military operations to catch Al-Qaeda figures, Taliban members or any other suspected fighters, had been staged. "There are none," he said.

"It will create such an anti-US feeling in Pakistan that I would say would mar the atmosphere of cooperation that exists between us."

Qureshi said he tried to reassure Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at their meeting Friday that his government was doing everything it can to combat militants in lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

He described Pakistan's counter-terrorism as a 'grassroots' approach. "Our strategy is that the military option alone is not enough," he said. "This war has to be fought besides the armies, with the help of the people, by winning hearts and minds."

"I don't think Osama is in Pakistan. I'm not sure," he said. "Nobody's aware of that. Nobody can speak with certainty. But our policy's very clear. We are allies in this war. And if Pakistan has actionable information vis-a-vis Osama bin Laden or any other high-value target, Pakistan will immediately take action."

Qureshi also ruled out any future investigation into whether his nation's military helped disgraced Pakistani scientist AQ Khan spread nuclear weapons to rogue nations.

"What had to be found out, was found out," he said. "AQ Khan, as far as we are considered, is history. AQ Khan no longer has any official status. The network that he put together has been effectively broken."