Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that Pakistan was focusing its attention on regional peace and stability.
Addressing the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting in London, he said Pakistan has registered unprecedented successes in the war on terrorism. We have a National Action Plan to defeat terrorism and extremism.
The foreign minister said concrete steps have been taken to check money laundering and terror financing.
He said the tribal districts have been brought into the national mainstream by merging them with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the first time that the tribal districts are being given representation in the provincial assembly.
He also pointed out that Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees over the last many decades.
The foreign minister said the Pakistani government was pursuing pro-investment and pro-business policies. He said Pakistan is an emerging market with a population of about two hundred million people.
The FM said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project provides a platform for sustainable development.
He said Pakistan will welcome Commonwealth’s partnership in the special economic zones to be established under the mega corridor project.
The foreign minister said Pakistan is determined to achieve sustainable development goals.
He said Pakistan has started Ehsaas Program to protect the vulnerable segments of the society, adding that the country also started Sehat Sahulat programme to provide health cover to the deprived segments of the society.
The foreign minister said that Pakistan is fully cognizant of the challenge posed by climate change and has set the target of planting ten billion trees in five years.
The foreign minister also briefed the Commonwealth meeting about the steps taken by Pakistan for protection of rights of women and minorities.