ISLAMABAD, 24 October 2004 — Commonwealth Secretary-General Donald McKinnon yesterday appreciated Pakistan’s role in the war on terror and endorsed President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s view of addressing the underlying causes to root out the scourge.
“Extremism is not the monopoly of a single group of people, and we all share the responsibility to fight terrorism, wherever it manifests itself, whatever form it takes,” McKinnon said here at a seminar organized by the Institute of Regional Studies here.
He said in an interdependent world, events in one country could have ripple effects on countries thousands of miles away. “There is just no place for extremist ideologies, the world is not big enough for everyone to believe they are right hundred percent all the time.”
He, however, conceded: “We cannot root out terrorism, without rooting out its causes.” He pointed the vast gaps between those who have all the basic facilities of life and those who are facing poverty, hunger and disease.
He said Pakistan was a key member of Commonwealth and was at the forefront in the fight against terrorism. The Commonwealth was helping the member states meet their legal obligations to extend full cooperation in the war against global terrorism.
McKinnon urged nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India to “do their best” to resolve their dispute over Kashmir through peace talks. He said the “resolution of the Kashmir issue is necessary for peace,” and suggested that the two countries find a solution through negotiations.
“I encourage both President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and (Indian) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to do their best to resolve the issue,” McKinnon said.
The Commonwealth chief said the Legal Framework Order that gave Musharraf power to dissolve Parliament was not in conformity with the Commonwealth’s expectations.
McKinnon later held a meeting with the leaders of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy that included Raja Zaffarul Haq, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chaudhery Nishar Ali Khan and Siddiqueul Farooq.
After the meeting, McKinnon said he had exchanged views with different groups of people whom he would mention in his report to the ministerial committee of the Commonwealth.
He said it was his wish to see democratic institutions flourish and stabilize in Pakistan, and to that end the Commonwealth would continue its cooperation with Pakistan.
— Additional input from agencies