President returns after 'successful tour'

ISLAMABAD (APP) - President Asif Ali Zardari returned back home Monday evening after concluding official visit to Libya, UK, USA and France.
The visit saw the US House of representatives approve $1.9 billion aid, UK committing 640 million pounds over the next four years and France offering civilian nuclear technology to Pakistan after decades of embargo in addition to specific aid for the immediate rehabilitation of refugees and broadening of the partnership to fight the scourge of extremism and militancy.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesman former senator Farhat ullah Babar said, The wide ranging measures announced during the visit would strengthen Pakistans economy on the one hand and garner international political support to a democratic Pakistan engaged in a major battle against the militants in NWFP and tribal areas on the other.
Significantly the approval of 1.9 billion dollars to Pakistan was above the Obama administrations own request for release of economic assistance to Pakistan battling the Taliban.
No less significant was French President Sarkozys offer of a wide ranging civil nuclear deal to Pakistan to help it overcome its energy crisis to make the industries run and create jobs and opportunities, Farhat ullah Babar said.
Pakistans case for immediate rehabilitation of the internally displaced population received attention as the UK and France each announced 12 million Euros for the refugees and the US House of Representatives made a special provision in the aid bill that was passed.
In a week that saw the National Assembly backing operation against the militants, wire services transmitting pictures and TV channels sound bytes of displaced people lining up for food in camps, President Zardari cautioned the international community how crucial it was to rehabilitate the refugees for preventing them from falling prey to the militants propaganda.
The President also flew to New York from Washington to urge the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for the global appeal to help Pakistan deal with the 'human catastrophe resulting from the action against militants in Swat, a request which the UN chief readily accepted.
It is critical that the international community was persuaded to help rehabilitate uprooted people back to their homes after the operation was over, was the message to Ban Ki Moon and other leaders.
The Presidential brief included a multi-dimensional plan prepared by the government to defend the countrys democratic system against the militants onslaught who had publicly denounced the Parliament, democracy and the superior judiciary and wanted to impose their own worldview on the people of Pakistan through using force.
Over half a dozen items in the plan contained details ranging from massive investments in education to strengthening of the civilian law enforcing agencies, from recruitment of another 100,000 special police force to building of bomb proof police stations, from improving the border security regimen to overcoming the energy crisis and from specific projects in agricultural development to opening of European and US markets to Pakistani products to help regenerate its economy.
The call for 'trade, not aid was heeded as the British prime minister addressed a letter to the European Union to place the issue on its summit agenda in Brussels on June 17.