SAARC Summit Today: Pakistan underlines need for Expansion  
By ABM Nafeezur Rahman - PakistanTimes.net Foreign Correspondent

DHAKA (Bangladesh): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has underlined the growing need to ‘restructure and re-organise’ South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation [SAARC] for the good of the seven impoverished member nations.

He told journalists on board a special flight which brought him to Dhaka on Friday to preside over the 13th SAARC Summit today, Saturday that Pakistan attached utmost importance to the regional grouping, known for poverty and population, hoping it would “deliver the goods to meet the expectations and aspirations of the people in the region.”

He also underscored the importance of “conflict resolution” to make the bloc more durable and meaningful. He was obviously referring to Kashmir as the core issue between Pakistan and India.

About China becoming the SAARC member, he said Pakistan would welcome any such move not only because China is the world’s biggest country but also the strategic and economic importance it enjoys. “Pakistan would welcome any country wanting to join SAARC”. He reiterated Pakistan’s support to Afghanistan’s candidature, saying Afghanistan deserves to join the fold.

Needs for Quake-hit People

Talking about the measures being taken by the government to assuage the sufferings of the Oct 8 earthquake victims, Shaukat Aziz said that Pakistan needs at least $5.2 billion to overcome the colossal crisis. “We are leaving no stone unturned to repair the damage caused by Pakistan’s worst tragedy.”

He paid rich tributes to the nation for rising to the occasion, saying every effort was being made to make the best use of this historic unity to ensure a bright future for the country.

Ceremonial Welcome

Shaukat Aziz was given a ceremonial welcome on arrival at Zia International Airport where he was greeted by Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

The Prime Minister was presented with a bouquet at the foot of the ramp. A 21-gun salute heralded the arrival of the distinguished guest and a smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented to him guard of honour.

Prime Minister Aziz reviewed the guard. He took salute from a decorated podium with the band playing the national anthems of both Bangladesh and Pakistan. Then the Prime Minister was taken to the presentation line where Begum Zia introduced her cabinet colleagues and senior civil and military officials to him.

Prime Minister also introduced senior members of his entourage to Begum Zia. A 20-minute drive from the airport to Sonargaon Hotel was to see unprecedented security arrangements in Dhaka’s history. About 24,000 personnel have been deputed throughout the bedecked capital to ensure foolproof security.

Perspective

The twice-postponed 13th SAARC Summit begins here on Saturday amid tightest-ever security arrangements at which South Asian leaders will pledge to jointly tackle terrorism and reinvigorate cooperation to realise peace, amity, progress and economic prosperity of the region.

The two-day summit will be attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Nepal King Gyanendra, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, Maldives President M A Gayoom and Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

The SAARC leaders will sign three key agreements for investment protection, avoidance of double taxation and customs cooperation and the setting up of a SAARC Arbitration Council as part of trade facilitation.

Before his departure for Dhaka, Shaukat Aziz told journalists at Chaklala airbase Friday Pakistan as current chairman of SAARC has made sincere efforts to make the organization more effective for the promotion of bilateral relations in the region and fight poverty effectively.

The Prime Minister said, the summit would provide an opportunity for the leaders to meet collectively and bilaterally to promote relations and proceed further for economic cooperation. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri accompanied the Prime Minister Aziz. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri is already in Dhaka to attend the summit.

The Prime Minister said besides promoting peace, there is need to resolve the bilateral issues in the region so that the resources and energies of the members of SAARC could be utilised for the development in their respective areas.

The Prime Minister said he would hold bilateral meetings with all the leaders attending the SAARC summit in Dhaka and added that Pakistan would convey a message of “peace” in these bilateral meetings. He said Pakistan would convey to these leaders that “We are peaceful, moderate and development-oriented country, willing to have peace in the region.”

The Prime Minister said South Asia, the region of SAARC member states are facing poverty and added the member countries could expedite the pace of development in the region.

Ways to strengthen SAARC

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday discussed the future agenda of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation [SAARC] and the possibility of getting new members and observers into its fold.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan met Aziz soon after he arrived in Dhaka to attend the 13th SAARC summit and both men focused on the challenges facing the region and on how to make SAARC more effective and beneficial to its members.

Aziz was also updated on the meeting of the Council of Ministers earlier in the day and on SAARC’s future agenda. Aziz and Morshed discussed bilateral relations, expanding and improving the joint economic commission, need for more trade and investment between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Aziz also met Nepal’s King Gyanendra Bir Bikra Shah Dev and both men vowed to work together to fight terrorism and boost bilateral ties in all areas. Aziz said both countries wanted peace in the region and respect each other’s sovereignty and integrity. About SAFTA, Aziz said some points were being negotiated.

“If you look around the world, trade negotiation is a very complex issue. Even today as the next WTO round is approaching, there are serious differences between the developed and developing countries and what we have on SAFTA is quite similar to that,” he added.

Later, Aziz met a group of underprivileged children who had cut down on their meals to save money for the earthquake victims of Pakistan.●