President’s Uk visit to boost cooperation and alleviate misconceptions
According to a press release issued by the Pakistan High Commission in London, during his visit, president Asif Ali Zardari will meet British PM Cameron at his country residence in Chequers, on the outskirts of London, on August 06. He will also meet newly-elected Pakistani origin members of the UK Parliament and On August 07, he will address the Pakistani community at Birmingham’s International Conference Centre.
Mr Cameron’s comments had sparked a campaign by senior army figures who want him to cancel the president Zardari’s visit to meet the Prime Minister at Chequers. The head of the ISI intelligence agency Lt. Gen Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, had earlier cancelled a delegation of senior officials to meet their security counterparts in London. The ISI cancellation is a clear signal of their displeasure and that they do not want him [Zardari] to go. Amid fears that security co-operation between Britain and Pakistan could be hit by the row, British officials sought today to play down the significance of the spat, insisting “no long-term damage” had been done by the prime minister’s remarks in India last week.
In Pakistan, [pro establishment]opposition parties were united in demanding that the trip be cancelled; Pakistan’s powerful security and intelligence establishment has already demonstrated its anger by cancelling a visit by a delegation of intelligence officials to the UK. Despite intense pressure from his army chiefs, opponents and coalition partners, President Zardari is going ahead with the planned visit, which aides said he will now use to explain Pakistan’s position and seek an expression of appreciation for the country’s sacrifices.
Opposition parties have asked President Asif Ali Zardari to cancel his impending visit to Britain in the wake of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks against Pakistan that ‘the country must stop exporting terror’. The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has raised the demand in a veiled manner. Sharif’s bothers, who spend most of their time in UK and [British passport holder]Altaf Bhai said the president should cancel his visit and spend the money allocated for his trip on the flood-affected people across Pakistan.
This prompted Zardari’s close aide and Federal Law Minister Babar Awan to take a swipe at the Sharif brothers, saying that the president is not going on a pleasure trip to Britain like Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif and they had properties in Britain worth millions of pounds which should be sold to help those in distress back home.
Retired Lt Col Talat Masood said the army’s dignity had been offended by Mr Cameron’s comments, but that while it feels obliged to cancel the visit of its ISI leaders to register its anger, long-term co-operation in the fight against terrorism will continue. He said: “The interests of both countries are so intertwined that this can’t continue for more than a short period, things will normalise after they apply some balm.”
President Zardari is scheduled to meet PM Cameron during his visit commencing Aug 3 in the first meeting of both dignitaries since the new British premier assumed office. Hopefully meeting will boost cooperation.We have to keep in mind that Pakistan is reportedly set to become the biggest beneficiary of Britain’s 2.9-billion pounds aid to developing countries.In the last financial year, Pakistan received 140 million pounds from the Department for International Development (DFID) making it the sixth largest recipient behind India, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Sudan and Tanzania.
According to the Daily Times, the aid is expected to rise up to 40 percent.
“Within three years, Pakistan would probably receive more money from the recast budget than any other country,” The Daily Times quoted Andrew Mitchell, DFID Secretary, as saying.
He said that there is an education emergency in Pakistan, as the country has more children out of school than anywhere in the world. The DFID Secretary also announced that Britain would provide for 300,000 girls to go to school and for three million textbooks.
“Our efforts are focused on accountability, building up the sinews of the state, focusing on education where you have a rapidly increasing population. International development is one of the only two departments, along with health, that does not have to shrink its budget,” Mitchell said.
In the supreme national interest, Presdent Zaradari must not visit UK this time. Every body know that there is no misconception between two countries. All the allegation from the UK were putted just to pressurize Pakistan only and UK itself know the reality.
President should back and stand with the affected buddies at the time of clerestories flood in the history of Pakistan.
@kashif Naseer
If david Cameron violated the diplomatic norms, what do want Paksitan commit the same violation. Or else start working of intercontinental ballistic missile .
This is not the violation of diplomatic norms at all, This is the meter of national modesty and integrity. Do any leader around the world visit out side when it’s own country facing disaster.
The visit of president is also against the spirit of 18’th amendment because Mr. Zaradari being a ceremonial head of the country has nothing to do with foreign affairs and decision making. If visit was necessary, PM should visit.
@ kashif
in the supreme national interest, Presdent Zaradari must not visit UK this time. Every body know that there is no misconception between two countries. All the allegation from the UK were putted just to pressurize Pakistan only and UK itself know the reality.
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you have now changed the discussion with 18th amendment debate .
and for flood tragedy what you want president to do ,pray for rain to end and leave all the state affairs.and bashing west for nothing you should respect that no one from our so called gulf friend did nothing , on the contrary our biggest enemy “US ” provided us with 10 million dollars which is close to 85 crore Rs . which will be given to Pakhtunkhuwa provincial govt . please appreciate our civilian govt diplomatic efforts for explaining the US how important is for US to shift is funding from military to humanitarian aid.
n the supreme national interest, Presdent Zaradari must not visit UK this time. Every body know that there is no misconception between two countries. All the allegation from the UK were putted just to pressurize Pakistan only and UK itself know the reality.
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1.U have now change the topic with debate for sake of debate with shifting debate to 8th amendment.
2.And for flood tragedy ,what you want president to do , keep waiting for rains to end which will probably end in september when moonson season will end and in between this period stop traveling abroad and leave all the state affairs.
3. And for bashing west you have to appreciate no one from our so called gulf friend has even taken the notice of flood ,whereas US is provide us 10 million $ dollars which will be transfered to provinces.
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Dear brother diplomacy jazbat par nai hoti . we have to think rationally .
@Kashif, what is national modesty? Please read my article on the matter as to why David Cameron has to choose between India and Pakistan. Think a little rationally.
You have to realize that Zardari is more importantly the head of PPP. Political parties give the vision to the government. Just see nations like india where the PM runs the government and Sonia heads the Congress. Who is powerful?
The fact of the matter is Zardari is not representing the national interest at all. He never did and he never will. He has only one agenda, to further his loot of Pakistan’s wealth for his personal gains and for his family, the wealth which should be used for the betterment of poor Pakistani people.
Zardari insisted on touring UK because he wants to resign from his position within PPP and bestow the title on Bilawal. He is here in the UK for crowning ceremony of King Bilawal.
PPP government purposefully didn’t even summon the British High Commissioner to the Foreign Office to register official protest against Cameron’s salvo.
They waited so the HC is gone to the UK for Zardari’s visit; they may now call CDA to the FO and register protest. Typical re-action from the cowards of PPP.
Zardari is not going to represent any national interest at all. He and his cronies are once again on paid holidays. These corrupt thieves go regularly on foreign visit with huge entourage to use very limited financial resources of a poor country. More than thousand people have died in the floods in Pakistan and this corrupt thief is thinking about holidays and crowning his son for a political party who is rotten to the core. And you as supporters of the PPP are in the same boat, people without any honesty and credibility.
@ Ahmed
But Sonia is not the head of the state or president…..
@ Ahmed basically, Mr Kashif is suggesting that President Asif Ali Zardari Should follow establishment’s guide line, coz [they] are the designer of [so called] national interests, sovereignty, modesty and quami gharit…:)
@kashif Sahib, national interests define kerne ka mouqa, thoda boht civilian govt aur parliament ko bhi deiyein…
@Kashif sahib,
gherion pe karam apno pe satam
aaye jane wafa ye zulm na ker……
[Quote]“@kashif Sahib, national interests define kerne ka mouqa, thoda boht civilian govt aur parliament ko bhi deiyein…”[quote]
@Kashif
The parliament actually passed a resolution condemning drone attacks and demanding it to be stopped; they also give few other recommendations, why PPP government has not implemented one single recommendation from the Resolution?
Was there any response in the National Assembly on Cameron’s comments? Why PPP does not implement the voice of the representative of the people and implement the resolution passed?
Why was Mahmud quite when Indian FM was passing comments against Pakistan on Pakistani soil?
Behgairat brigade has nothing to show, but shame to the people of Pakistan
Junaid Qaiser
You can give all the headlines you like for your article but read the statement by David Cameron’s spokes person.
“the prime minister stands by his comments” Please read it word by word and understand it and if you need some help in Enlish language, ask for it.
is there any misconception in this statement? Next time think before you write.
Welcome to the lala land where goones are suggesting the foreign policy to the President. From Mian Nawaz who for the treatment of Influenza board to the UK soils, and none other than Altaf Paai, who had a contract marriage for British Passport, made his father in Law the advisor for health and now where is Faisal Gabol, no one knows, but he suggest us not to visit UK. Welcome to the La La land…
The armed forces can fight the militants only in a battlefield they cannot confront the propaganda cells of Taliban. That is where we the citizens come in who should take upon this cause by writing articles, talking to friends and family circles doing whatever we can do to refute the shameless propaganda of Taliban.
The mind set of the ”BORN SLAVES” lives well in Pakistan and the ‘BORN DARBARIS” used to defend all the moves of their favorite king and kings’ men. Behind the thin and fragile veil of democracy, there is a monarchy and Zardari is heading it, now, overtly and poor ‘Born Darbaris’ are bound or fond of defending him. We will see Bilawal and then his son and his son ruling this country, if they get any chance, and ‘Born slaves’ will keep voting and defending them because the mind set never changes. Same goes with Nawaz, Shaujaat, etc and people with ‘Born Slavery’ trait will keep on bringing them back on their heads and shoulders. When ever somebody will hit this trait, the offence will be taken as an attack from ISI, establishment, etc etc, some crap.
Wearing jeans with shirt out of pants, coming out of the plane in front of foreign dignitaries, some grace our president of Pakistan possesses. When Zardari was made president of Pakistan, a US journalist was asked that how did you see the future of Pakistan under new leadership, he plainly replied, ‘ If Mr. Zardari, with a long history of corruption, can become your President, any thing can happen in your country.’
He is a gift to the nation as the nation has selected him out of slum and no body has any right to object his doings.
hahaha! The author of the post is not only ignorant but funny as well.
No wonder all who have been kissing up Zordari are on payroll of Aiwan-e-Sadar. They have no feelings for thousands of people who have lost their lives due to flood in Pakistan.
What shocks me most is the utter blindness of the followers of PPP. Nadeem Khan puts it correctly; this slave mentality has to go. There is no place of such boot licking in this time and age. These discredit people and their spoons, should be part of the history, gone with the wind.
It is such a shame, these ruling crooks, and I mean no exception, Nawaz is as corrupt as Zardari, Or Altaf, Fazal-ur-Rehman, Isfandyar etc. These crooks and those who belong to their respected parties spent millions of the looted money on the Election to further their interests and loot Pakistan some more, they never had and never will have the interest of the people of Pakistan in their hearts.
They use empty slogans no matter what their political thinking or affiliations are they are dishonest and rotten to the core. There is no hope for Pakistan and her People as long as these corrupt looters are in the Parliaments and are given the chance to further their wealth by looting the resources of Pakistan for their personal gains.
PPP supporters are nothing but dishonest and corrupt Hench men, who are only attached to this corrupt party because they get their share further down the line. One way or another majority of them are looking for their personal benefits. The nation and its pride, the well being of its people is the last thing on their minds. Shame on these politicians, PPP goons and their supporters, I would not say die of shame, because they have none. As Mr. Iqbalabadi puts it (if he can use Ghairat bridgae for ordinary Pakistani, I can use this term for PPP members and its supporters, they do deserve this title) nothing good can be expected from “Baighairat” brigade.
There is no correlation between drone attacks and suicide bombings this is just a narrative articulated by the Taliban so to save their own skin. The attacks on public place were happening much before the first drone strike.
@ Sadia,
I should have added “canned logic” of PPP supporters to my above comments. You madam are displaying the same canned logic. You say there is no correlation between the two events, that’s fine. But what is the logic behind your comments?
You mean to say, if there are no co-relations between the two, then Drone attacks are justified?
You mean to say, Americans have been given the Carte Blanche by the Pakistani Government to kill innocent Pakistanis, including women and children at will, without any consequences at all? Without the implementation of the international laws? Are you madam, supporting the ridiculous idea of “collateral damage”? You think innocent Muslims are chattels, if they get killed in these attacks, then so be it, who cares for these “chattels”? Right!
Have you read international laws in this regard?
Your lot is definitely part of the “Baigairt Brigade”, as I said, I will not say shame on you, we all know you don’t have any. You are dishonest and corrupt people, without any morals or righteousness. Nothing else is expected from liars and thieves.
Sadia, How much Zardari paid for your expensive lawn suits? 5000 bucks or 10000?
By the way, what mentally slaved PPP supporters would say about Zardari’s statementin Le Monde in which he is declaring victory of Talibans over US forces?
Sadia might wish to scratch Zardari’s face after reading his statement
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