Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari’s first major policy international speech has been overshadowed by protests against his leadership in London.
Around 200 demonstrators gathered outside the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), holding placards which stated ‘Stop Zardari-Gilani slavery to UK’ and ‘America is the root cause of terror in Pakistan’.
Their chanting was clearly audible as he spoke on “strategic opportunities and challenges” faced by Pakistan.
In a letter to the IISS explaining the reasons for their protest against the man they call ‘Mr Ten Per Cent’, Hizb ut-Tahrir claimed that Pakistani politics has been “permanently usurped by [an] aristocratic elite”.
It said Mr Zardari’s Pakistan People’s party “represents a feudal aristocracy” which “stirs up red herrings of democracy, social justice and an end to army tyranny as its rallying cries”.
Ironically Mr Zardari hinted at his own frustration with US policy. He criticised American backing of the mujahedeen, religiously motivated fighters which ousted the Soviets from Afghanistan in the 1980s.
“What we are witnessing today is the outcome of that policy of the 80s and even earlier,” he said.
“The policy of using religious extremism as an instrument of war. We in Pakistan have paid a very heavy price for this policy.”
Mr Zardari added: “We all broke Afghanistan together. At the end of the day, humanity lost. Let’s all get together and mend it.”
The Pakistani president called on coalition forces in Afghanistan to do more to improve monitoring and policing on the Afghan-Pakistani border.
He told politics.co.uk: “I would appreciate it if we could man the borders better,” adding that negotiations were underway to improve matters on the porous border. The Taliban have been able to retreat from coalition forces’ grasp into the safe havens of the federally autonomous tribal regions in mountainous border areas.
Mr Zardari added that he hoped coalition forces would at least be able to “monitor or account for the crossings over the divide”.
source politics.co.uk
it was very strange & weird to see the president speaking on an international forum… without hiding behind the picture of benazir……
It is totally wrong when Pakistani citizens insult our Prime Minister or President abroad. We may not be happy with our president but we should always show respect in front of other.
Indian citizens in US or UK will always show respect for his Prime Minister and President and he will not tolerate any criticism for them from any other nationals.
We have an idiot Lord Nazeer in UK who lobbies for certain political party in Pakistan is a disgrace to Pakistan, his malicious remarks in British press and Parliament for our political leaders is a disgrace to Pakistan, this is none of his business.
He is thief and should be exposed. Pakistan standing is even lowered by his becoming a Pakistan’s head of state. shameful
I never talk against my Government when I am abroad. Sir Winston Churchil.
It is shameful to act like this especially when our President was there for lecture. Hizb ul-Tahrir is a party with radical ideas, whose members are motivated for hidden agenda. They are pro-Taliban and extremism in Islam. So no surprise when they were protesting against present government and President Zardari. We in Pakistan know the on ground situation and support present government’s foreign policies including its efforts in eliminating extremism and terrorism from the country. Our President is presenting the case of his people immaculately and these people of Hizb ul-Tahrir are maligning our leaders for sake of their Mullahs. Zardari’s flawless approach has enabled the Pakistani missions to perform far much better these days.
i don’t understand why Pakistani nation giving votes to these kind of (zardari, musharraf etc) how these pig shit comes to power or rulers of pak.
in developed countries every body think for nation, these bastard know only how ban & implement taxes. in pakistan every thing is banned if it is usefull for ordinary person.
& what r Pakistani Taliban or mujaheddin doing, why dont they kill these bastard & bureaucracy?????? if they really want to work Islam then they should kill every body who is invlove in our current position
pakistan nation don’t need any missile or nuc, they need justice,law & order, economy or all need’s of life according to Islam, they don’t care either Taliban came to rule or american’s or indian’s, even russian
any one is wellcome in this country if can provide these few things