British FM backs talks with Pakistan militants
PAKISTAN: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Monday
backed the new Pakistani government's talks with militants, but added
that there should only be reconciliation with those who renounce
violence.
Miliband arrived on a two-day official visit to Pakistan on Sunday
and has met President Pervez Musharraf, new premier Yousaf Raza Gilani
and top officials in North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan.
Britain supports "reconciliation with those who are willing to
reconcile," Miliband told reporters at a joint press conference with his
Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Peace agreements with pro-Taliban militants in tribal areas have
failed in the past and invited criticism from US officials that the
deals allowed Al-Qaeda to regroup in the region.
Miliband said he backed Pakistan's "multi-pronged" strategy to deal
with militancy through political and economic means as well as security
measures, adding that non-violence should be the cornerstone of
reconciliation.
Pakistan's new ruling coalition, headed by the party of slain former
premier Benazir Bhutto, defeated Musharraf's allies in elections in
February and has since slammed the president's reliance on the army to
tackle the insurgents.
But Miliband added: "Reconciliation does not mean creating safe space
for terrorists. "Reconciliation means dividing those ideologically
committed to wage a war against this country or other countries, and
those able to play by non-violent constitutional rules. It is about
building stability and prosperity," he said.
Miliband said there was "clear evidence" of an Al-Qaeda presence in
the rugged border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan and called for
greater cooperation among Pakistani, Afghan and coalition forces.
Britain is a major provider of development aid for Pakistan.
Gilani told Miliband during their meeting that the "new democratic
government would adopt a multi-pronged strategy as the past strategy has
failed to produce the desired results," a statement from the premier's
office said.
Islamabad, Tuesday, AFP |
