Speech to the inaugural session of Japanese Parliamentary Friendship League for Islmic Countries November 2001  I am honoured to be speaking to this distinguished gathering of newly formed Parliamentary Friendship League for Islamic countries. The formation of this League is yet another strong evidence of Japan’s high regard for Islamic countries and its interest in the issues concerning them. Indeed in today’s globalized world, no issues are local and no problems are regional. Whatever happens in one corner of the world affects us all. We all benefit or lose the same time, and fall or stand together. The tragic events of September 11, more than any other event, have highlighted the stark reality of this one-ness of this small world. The evil and the good can no longer be kept separate. No one can survive in islands of prosperity or live in fortress of security any longer. This brings me to the issue that is the main focus of our meeting today, the terrorism. Pakistan, as you know, has condemned the terrorist attacks in the United States which are contrary to the teachings of Islam as well as ethical and human values. We are playing a critical role in the coalition’s fight against terrorism, and are thankful for the Japanese support, sympathy and understanding. In order for the campaign against terrorism to be successful you have to know what indeed is terrorism and why it happens. But then there are acts, such as armed struggle by people fighting for their rights of self-determination which are not terrorism, but are being called terrorism, and then there are acts of brutal repression of their legitimate rights by states which is terrorism but is not being called terrorism. We have to be, therefore, very clear in our perceptions. One of the foremost issues affecting the Islamic world is the Palestinian struggle against Israel. Then, of course, is the struggle of the Kashmiri people against Indian occupation. There have been other instances also in the world of injustice, economic deprivation and inequality. Unless the world is aware of these causes which breed extremism and violence, we cannot successfully root out terrorism. Islam has no quarrel with the West. So when the people of the Islamic world tell the West to take into account the root causes of terrorism, they are not condoning such horrific acts of terrorism as happened in America. They are simply exposing various dimensions and deeper roots of this issue because only a clearer understanding of its full complexity will help the coalition’s campaign against terrorism. We are grateful, the Western countries and Japan have declared their commitment of strong support to Pakistan. What we need at this time is a long term structured relationship with our traditional friends so that we can jointly address the issues of peace and security and economic development in the region. Pakistan faces multiple challenges at this critical time. We are in a sensitive geo-political region and there is a heightened risk to our security at this moment. The developments in Afghanistan can also move in a direction that can aggravate our security concerns. It is imperative that the collapse of Taliban does not lead to anarchy and instability in Afghanistan. We feel that the peace and stability in Afghanistan can be ensured if: i) The Government in Afghanistan is broad based, multi-ethnic and reflective of demographic realities ii) It should be freely chosen by the Afghans through an indigenous process without outside interference or imposition iii) The Government should be friendly to Pakistan and to Afghanistan’s other neighbours. The economic infrastructure of Afghanistan has been ravaged by more than twenty years of conflict. The military action is likely to further exacerbate an already difficult humanitarian situation, resulting in further flow of refugees into Pakistan in addition to nearly three million we already have. According to UN estimates the ongoing air strikes and conflict may lead to a new exodus of between one to two million refugees, majority of them will head for Pakistan. Finally, Pakistan itself would require economic and financial support to overcome the grave impact of the conflict which is derailing our economic reforms and revival programme and leading to stagnation/recession in our economy with all its consequences. We are grateful to the Government of Japan for the sensitivity it is showing to the Islamic world. We particularly appreciate the help being given to Pakistan. More is needed. We shall be particularly grateful if Japan could write off our debt as our economy is really in need of any assistance to cope enormous challenges that we face. Let me close by saying that Muslim world and the Western world have historically co-existed well and have had best of the relations. Most of our countries have benefited from the economic aid from the Western countries and Japan and we appreciate the contribution these countries have made to our economic development. But what is needed is a still better appreciation of the political issues affecting the Islamic world. In that Japan will not only be helping the Islamic countries but also serving its own interests.