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

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.