Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Ashraf Jehangir Qazi tried to deflect criticism leveled at his country by the international community during a presentation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy last night.
Speaking in the ASEAN Auditorium at the Charles Francis Adams Lecture, Qazi told an audience of about 75 why his country could be a permanently useful ally of the United States.
"Since Sept. 11, we have been together at the front line on the global war against terror," Qazi said.
Pakistan has been responsible for the capture of more than 600 al Qaeda operatives in the past three years, he said.
In addition to operations against terrorist operatives, Qazi said the government is working to stop the sources of terrorism. He likened the war on terror to the war on crime, where punishing wrongdoers may not be enough to eliminate the problem.
"We have to address the root-causes of problems to get long-term solutions," he said.
The Pashtun ethnic group, which Qazi said makes up almost 50 percent of the Afghan population, straddles the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Any instability is this region will inevitably affect the much larger Pashtun populations in Pakistan, he said.
U.S. actions securing the Afghan government have a direct, positive impact on the stability of Pakistan, Qazi said.
Qazi acknowledged that the United States and Pakistan have not always had the best of relationships, but since the mid-1960s, "the basic thrust has been positive."
The challenge facing the countries now, he said, will be moving past the global war on terror -- GWOT, as he called it -- and Operation Enduring Freedom to a permanent, closer relationship.
He was hopeful about the prospects, noting positive statements made in a 2002 meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.
Qazi also tried to quell concerns about the country being responsible for international nuclear proliferation. A global scandal erupted last month when it was revealed that Abdul Qadeer Khan, a Pakistani nuclear weapons scientist, helped develop weapons programs in North Korea, Libya, and Iran.
He said that although Pakistani government officials had suspicions about Khan, the government was unable to act without "credible evidence." He said the United States and other international watchdog groups also lacked proof until this October.
He attributed the eventual arrest and confession of Khan to Pakistani military action. The country sent investigation teams to Libya and North Korea to confirm allegations, and then confronted Khan.
While the country was "very embarrassed" over the incident, Qazi denied that government officials had any knowledge of Khan's action. No physical nuclear materials from Pakistan were exported because of smuggling, he said, and all of Khan's illegal actions took place outside of the country.
Qazi addressed the controversy over the government's pardon of Khan, which he described as necessary considering the political realities in Pakistan.
"The political fact that you cannot ignore," Qazi said, "is that this man is seen as having done a valuable service for his country." Qazi described Pakistan's weapons program as being a response to illegal nuclear tests by India, and that his country was "never responsible" for nuclear escalation.
He described his country as the nation leading the way in discussions to end the long-standing conflicts with India. His country has constantly been willing to negotiate, he said.
Qazi said the Indian and Pakistani governments have recovered from a "bottoming-out" in their relationship in 2002. He compared the recent raucous reception of the Indian cricket team in Pakistan to the countries' warming relationship.
"It was an incredible sight," he said. Even though the home team lost, the stadium erupted in applause for the victorious Indians. Previous matches have been marked with tension.
He praised India for recognizing the uniqueness of the much-contested border dispute between Kashmir and Jammu. The volatile situation has led to three wars and twice led the countries to the brink of nuclear war.
While the countries have other differences, Qazi said they were not different than what other countries face. According to Qazi, the Jammu and Kashmir problem threatens the political security of both countries.
The stakes for a solution to the problem are high. Qazi said that rising tensions threaten the development of prosperity in the countries. He said China received $40 billion in foreign investment last year, while India only received $5 billion due to the instability and conflicts that plagued it.
Lifting people from poverty is the "greatest contribution to human rights" a state can make, he said. India and Pakistan both need to grow at an eight to nine percent rate for the next fifteen years, similar to the rate of China's development, to reach their full potential. Qazi was hopeful this could be achieved, with one condition.
"This won't happen in a state of conflict," he warned. He repeatedly emphasized the need for negotiations and compromise for the benefit of both countries.
Qazi previously served as Pakistan's High Commissioner to the Indian government, but could no longer serve when rising tensions caused the countries to break off diplomatic relations in 2002. He was then appointed by the Musharraf government to his current position in Washington, D.C.
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