ISLAMABAD, 25 April 2008 — Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said yesterday that the South Asian nation had to change its image from a violent country to a peace-loving one.
Qureshi said this during a meeting with a delegation of Saudi journalists that included columnist Tariq Al-Maeena, Urdu News’ Tarek Mishkas and Muhammad Yousuf at the Foreign Office. The minister asked the delegates what impression they had about Pakistan prior to their visit. Some of them said Pakistan conjured up the image of a country without law and order and riven with terrorism.
All of them, however, said that the visit changed their perception of Pakistan, which they found to be “a very beautiful and peaceful country.”
Qureshi blamed the country’s image problem on bad press and said Pakistan was not the only Islamic country suffering from this. Deliberate attempts are being made to project Muslims as violent and terrorists by anti-Islamic forces, he alleged.
The minister said promoting tourism among Muslim countries and bilateral and multilateral investments could undo some of the damage.
He said: “It is a matter of great pride for Pakistan that it has strong relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These ties are based on the strength of Islam.”
He appreciated the fact that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah accorded special treatment to Pakistan and said the two countries were engaged in not only promoting their bilateral relations but were also active players within the Organization of the Islamic Conference to forge greater Muslim unity.
