- Janjua says Pakistan will remain neutral, will not side with KSA or Iran
- Hale says American companies increasing their presence in Pakistan
National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua on Friday said that it was a wrong perception that Pakistan was playing double-game in Afghanistan.
“Had Pakistan on side of Taliban then why they would have been fighting against Pakistan,” he questioned while delivering a speech at the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit held here. In Pakistan, extremism was an outcome of the Afghan war, he said.
Dispelling the impression about Pakistan, it was a wrong and baseless propaganda that its nukes could go in hands of extremists. “Pakistan is land of beauty and its inhabitants are talented,” he said. He pointed out that there existed 108 exit and entry points between Pakistan and Afghanistan which were being used by people of both the nations as land routes.
He said if Pakistan had not stood against USSR then today Afghanistan would have not been existed on the world map. He said that the US was the sole power in the world and this was due to the countless sacrifices rendered by Pakistan. Referring to the ‘Farari’ movement in Balochistan, he said that this all was brainchild of those having nefarious motives.
“This can be overcome by boosting economic activity in Balochistan,” he said. On the Islamic forces block, the adviser said this was founded solely by Saudi Arabia and selection of countries in the fold was again sole choice of the founder. “Our decision not to send our forces to Yemen was meant to maintain the equilibrium in the region,” he said.
He said that if General Raheel Sharif was assuming as head of the Islamic forces block, he never will represent any specific sect or sects. “He (Raheel) was having as good relationship with Iran as with Saudi Arabia. He (Raheel) enjoys cordial relationship with Iran,” he said. “Pakistan will remain neutral and will not take side of Saudi Arabia or Iran,” he added.
Delivering remarks at the opening of the two-day summit, US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale said that Pakistan and the United States were closely aligned on the key goal of Pakistan’s economic development, and that innovation is key to achieving this goal.
The summit was organised by the Nutshell Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Reforms. “We work together fostering economic growth, increasing bilateral trade, improving investment climate, protecting intellectual property and promoting entrepreneurship,” Ambassador Hale said.
Highlighting the untapped potential for growth in the US-Pakistan economic relationship, he observed that American companies were increasing their presence in Pakistan. “From some of our largest manufacturers and infrastructure companies, to small and medium services companies, the American private sector is finding Pakistan to be an increasingly attractive market,” he said.
He said that the American business leaders praise the quality of people that they work with, and the interest that Pakistan’s business community has shown in American products. “The biggest challenge – for Pakistan as well as for America and all other economies – is for governments to be flexible enough to facilitate and support the new business models and innovation that entrepreneurs are developing in such a fast-changing global economy.”
Hale said that the summit participants share a fundamental desire for stability and prosperity, and there were opportunities in business and beyond to innovate for the future to help both countries achieve their fullest potential. He also noted that the US relationship with Pakistan was founded in people-to-people ties.
“These ties are built in many ways, including through business, trade and exchange programmes. We are very proud of the large community of alumni of our exchange programmes,” he said. More than six hundred delegates from Pakistan, China, Bahrain, Canada, Qatar, UAE and the US attended the business summit that featured debates, dialogue, cross-cutting discussions, music and local cultural performances.
