Addressing a crowded press conference at the United Nations headquarters on Wednesday, President Musharraf said he would be going back to Pakistan with optimism as major companies in different sectors had shown interest in investment in Pakistan.
"They have shown great interest in energy sector and I am optimistic of better response," he added. The President said economic growth of Pakistan had attracted them and some of the potential investors were in different stages of discussion with "us" on investment proposals. He said that as far as investments from the United States were concerned, they were flowing to Pakistan regularly.
To a question, the President said that he wanted to develop consensus on the Women Empowerment Bill before pushing it through parliament. There should be no misunderstanding that the government had yielded to pressure rather it had adopted a reconciliatory attitude, he added.
He said that many previous governments could not dare take up the bill, and added: "Even the woman prime minister could not touch it." President Musharraf said taking up such issues where two groups, liberals and obscurantist, were dagger drawn with each other and one wanted us to repeal the Hudood Ordinance altogether or it would come on the streets and protest.
Those who favoured the existing Ordinance had said if the bill was adopted, they would stage protest, he said. "It is me who could take the initiative and come up with the proposal to bring about improvement through the Women Empowerment Bill. And please do not forget, I could do so only because I am in uniform."
He said he wanted consensus to develop on this bill. "I do not want political disruption on any issue. We do not want political turmoil."
PALESTINE ISSUE The President said that Palestine issue is the core of problems. Once this issue is settled, much of the peace process would succeed and normalcy would return. "It will have positive effect elsewhere as well," he said.
He said that double standards were dividing the world into factions. "There is a perception that the United States of America is siding and favouring Israel. Unless the Palestinian issue is resolved, there would be no peace in the Middle East," he said.
Muslims World would continue to protest and doubt the American approach toward the Middle East issue, he said, adding they thought the American approach was in favour of Israel.
To another question, the President said that Afghan President Karzai should find out Mullah Omer in Afghanistan as he had never been to Pakistan since 1995.
President Musharraf said that blame game should now come to an end and there should be realisation of ground realities.
He said that the agreement "we have entered into with the elders of North Waziristan should not be misinterpreted. The agreement is not with the Taliban," he said with emphasis.
The President explained in detail the Afghan situation, Taliban factor and terrorism, and said that the situation was complex and needed multifaceted solutions.
"We are doing it through an agreement of peace with the elders of the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. If this succeeds, it may be replicated on the other side of the border," he said. To yet another question, the President said relations with India were improving and there was room for more good work.
He said that there was a desire to find out a viable solution to Kashmir issue, acceptable to Kashmiris, India and Pakistan. "India does not want redefining of the border and Pakistan is sticking to its stand that the Line of Control (LoC) is not final."
The President said the realisation of irritants was a positive sign and it brought hope. "With right amount of will, a solution is possible," he added.
President General Pervez Musharraf has said there is consensus that the United Nations Security Council's composition should be enlarged and made more representative of "current realities".
He was speaking at a dinner meeting co-hosted by the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Italy for an exchange of views to promote agreement on Security Council Reform-Ideas for a way forward at Roosevelt Hotel on Wednesday.
President Musharraf said: "Perhaps an equitable formula for rotation could offer the answer-perhaps regional representation combined with rotation could offer the answer."
He said current realities are complex. "Certainly it involves greater representation for some major states." In this context, the African proposal for regional seats for Africa, selected by Africa, is an interesting approach. This may be worthy of emulation with suitable adjustment for other regions also, he added.
He said but there are some other actors, including the middle-sized states whose aspiration also needs to be accommodated and hasten to add the smaller states constitute the vast majority of UN membership and they, too, have an important contribution to make to the working of the Security Council.
He said: "We will have to accommodate as far as possible the interest of all."
Therefore, there is a need to explore ways and means to promote frequent representation for larger, middle-sized and smaller states.
President Musharraf said the reform of the Security Council's working methods-making it more transparent, accountable and effective-is equally important. He said for smaller states, in particular, this aspect of reform of the council may well be more important than its composition.
He said several interesting proposals are on the table. "We need to find agreement on these in the context of a comprehensive reform of the Security Council." He said Italy, Pakistan, and other like-minded countries are convinced that the reforms of the Security Council, to be effective, will have to be achieved by the widest possible agreement. "This will, among other things, ensure early ratification of a charter amendment."
He said over the last decade, we have discussed and debated Security Council reforms. "We have not explored compromises through sustained negotiations. Once, there is a genuine desire to compromise, to build widest possible agreement, I believe, all countries could explore more freely the possible options for an agreed solution."
He said Prime Minister Prodi and he, together with other like-minded countries, extended the invitation to this event (dinner meeting at Roosevelt) to all UN member states to underline our commitment to explore, with political flexibility and diplomatic creativity, and through a negotiation process, possible options for a solution to Security Council reform that can command the widest possible agreement.
He said, "We believe that, today, when the Council's role is central to the maintenance of international peace and security, it is incumbent upon member states to make a serious and sincere endeavour to achieve an early general agreement on this vital issue." In his remarks, Secretary General Kofi Anan said the world has changed dramatically since 1945 and the Security Council must change too.
He said without an expansion of its power base, it's hard to see how we are going to go on meeting the demands that member states make on us, particularly in the area of peacekeeping.
He said rising troops for peacekeeping is far from being the only problem. "The Council also needs greater political participation of all regions if it is to be accepted as fully legitimate by all-as it must be, in order to address major challenges to the Middle East peace process, and in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, and many corners of my own continent." He said while everyone agrees on the need for expansion of the Security Council, there is still no agreement on how to do it.
Later, addressing a joint press conference after the dinner Musharraf and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said it is the beginning of process and ideas are being gathered. More such meetings would follow to develop consensus on reforms procedure.
President General Pervez Musharraf received US Vice-President Dick Cheney, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman at Blair House Thursday morning and discussed matters of mutual interests.
It is learnt, the President discussed civilian nuclear needs of Pakistan and the extent of co-operation in related technical matter, defence affairs and energy requirements with Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bodman. He also discussed matters related to trade and commerce and business co-operation between the businessmen of the two countries with Gutierrez.
Sources said the meeting with the Vice-President and three secretaries of states was fruitful and they have assured Pakistan of their fullest co-operation in achieving its goal in related sectors.
APP adds: United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on President General Pervez Musharraf here on Wednesday. They discussed US-Pakistan relations and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest during the meeting. Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri was also present.
President Pervez Musharraf paid high tributes to United Nation Secretary General Kofi Annan, who leaves his post at the end of this year after completing two five-year terms. In his opening remarks at a press conference, the President said that Annan was a "pillar of hope in the turbulent decade of the 90s" who worked hard to move the UN forward and to bring peace and harmony in the world. "We wish him well in future," he said.