ISLAMABAD, Nov 1 (APP): Qatar on Tuesday said it would rebuild a specific area, in its entirety, by constructing houses, schools and hospitals, in the region, which was almost devastated by the Oct 8 earthquake that killed over 55,000 people. The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani also assured Pakistan of liberal import of Pakistani manpower as well as assistance in rebuilding in the earthquake hit areas. He was talking to Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri who was on a tri-nation visit of gulf states, as Special Envoy of President General Pervez Musharraf to apprise the Gulf leadership about the Oct 8 earthquake and its devastating effects.
The Emir said that Pakistan was one of the most important countries of the Islamic world and assured that Qatar would do its utmost to help the ongoing relief and reconstructions efforts, after the disastrous earthquake. Kasuri thanked the Gulf leadership for prompt and generous assistance and said it was reflective of brotherly relations between Pakistan and the Gulf states. Foreign Minister Kasuri also delivered a letter from President Pervez Musharraf to the Emir of Qatar. The Foreign Minister also solicited highest level representation from the brotherly State of Qatar for the International Reconstruction Conference to be convened in Islamabad on 18-19 November. He also reiterated invitation on behalf of the President to Qatari Emir for a visit to Pakistan.
Sheikh Hamad accepted the invitation and said he would like to visit Pakistan soon. In response to a request by the Foreign Minister, the Emir said Qatar would do its best to have a more liberal visa regime for Pakistani manpower, in the coming days. Earlier, the Foreign Minister Foreign Minister told a Press Conference at Doha that his meeting with the Emir of Qatar was very positive. Responding to a query on India- Pakistan relations, the Foreign Minister noted the positive changes that had resulted following the two Rounds of Composite Dialogue including improvement in general atmospherics, liberalization of visas and enhancement in bilateral trade.
He said Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) such as inauguration of Srinagar - Muzaffarabad bus service, issuance of special travel documents and the visit of Hurriyat Conference leaders to Pakistan were positive developments. Kasuri said following President Musharraf's initiative, five crossing points on the Line of Control were being opened to facilitate the earthquake victims. He, however, added that not much progress had been made on the critical issue of Jammu and Kashmir which had bedeviled relations between the two countries and resulted in many wars. He said the history of Pakistan-India relations showed that in the presence of this dispute even a single incident could result in rapid deterioration of bilateral relations.
He said there were strong peace constituencies in both the countries and it was therefore highly desirable that the speed of progress on Jammu and Kashmir be increased to prevent their demoralization. About Pakistan-Qatar gas pipeline project, Khurshid Kasuri said petroleum experts of two countries had met in June, but they needed further follow up action. He said Pakistan attached great importance to the proposed Qatar-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. On Pakistan- Israel contacts, he said it was an open contact and any further diplomatic ties depended on demonstrable and visible progress towards resolution of the Palestinian issue.
The Government of Pakistan would not take any step which was at variance with the aspirations of the Pakistani people who stood for the creation of an independent Palestinian State, Kasuri added. He reiterated Pakistan's position for a two-state solution with a viable Palestine state living in peace, side by side with Israel. About Al-Qaeda the Minister said that its ability to launch overseas operations had been destroyed, its command and control system liquidated and its horizontal and vertical linkages eliminated. He said it was still possible for small groups of five to ten, to move around in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan and inflict some damage locally but they could not launch any major operation overseas. The Foreign Minister thanked the leadership of the GCC countries for generously contributing towards the relief efforts for the earthquake victims.