Pakistan President: Kashmir main cause of tension

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain on Wednesday said Kashmir was the main cause of tension in the region.

Addressing the joint session of Parliament, he said: “Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the partition of the sub-continent. This is the main cause of tension in the region.”

“As long as the issue is not resolved in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people and UN resolutions, the problems of the region will remain unresolved,” he added.

The President also urged India to reciprocate Pakistan’s sincere overtures for dialogue.

He said Pakistan’s foreign policy was based on the principle of peace for development and a peaceful neighbourhood.

Mr Hussain also said Pakistan was of the view that peace and stability in Afghanistan was imperative for peace in the region.

He added that Pakistan had a special relationship with the Islamic world, including Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, other countries in West and Central Asia. He said a defence cooperation agreement had been recently concluded with Russia and Russia was likely to invest $ 2 billion for laying Karachi-Lahore gas pipeline. He particularly referred to Pakistan’s cordial relations with China, US and the European Union. He noted with satisfaction that the next SAARC summit will be held in Pakistan in November this year. The President said Pakistan strongly believed in nuclear security and has made state of the art arrangements for safety of its nuclear installations. He expressed the confidence that the nation will succeed in eliminating corruption. He advised countrymen not to be despondent as Pakistan would soon regain its rightful status in the comity of nations. The President warned the opposition not to impose its will on the government. He said that there was no room for errors as the nation needed consensus of both opposition and government on every matter. “The opposition should not impose its will on the elected government. The economic policies should be continued for the prosperity of the state,” he said. President Hussain said the democratic march during the last three years had been progressing successfully despite ups and downs. He said the political progress was testimony to the fact that political system had gained the potential to face crises successfully. The President said he was glad to note that both the government and opposition are aware of this reality and were formulating policies to strengthen democracy. President Hussain said it was now responsibility of each individual, class and institution to earnestly contribute towards reinforcing this positive trend. He said the government, be it of any political party, should formulate such policies that democracy can take roots and the people lead a prosperous life. Enumerating three-year economic achievements of the government, the President said tax system and collection had improved, foreign exchange reserves increased, GDP has steadily expanded and this year growth had been 4.7%. He said budget deficit stood reduced, inflation controlled and the rupee stabilized. He said these positive indicators will encourage foreign investors and “accelerate our economic progress” which will be further boosted by China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He said such a welcome progress on the economic front was possible only through consistent and realistic policies. The President said more steps should be taken to pass on the benefits of improved economic situation to the common man. President Hussain said the schedule of the CPEC clearly shows the project is not for the benefit of any particular government, political party or group of politicians but purely a national project. “It is responsibility of the nation to remove every internal and external obstacle in the way of its implementation,” he added.