|
|
Mr. President,
Once again
we return to this Chamber to discuss the subject of terrorism and the response
of the world community to counter it. The steps taken by the Security Council to
combat this serious threat to international peace and security, which include
the adoption of resolutions 1368, 1373,1377 and 1390 as well as the
establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), are unprecedented in
their approach and global in their scope. While these measures are indeed
necessary and must be implemented, there is also a need to look beyond these
immediate steps.
2. Terrorism is the curse of our time. It haunts all societies and regions. It
stalks us all. As we seek to grapple with this challenge, our approach should
not be cosmetic nor guided by emotion or anger. Surely the perpetrators of
terrorism must be brought to justice. But our battle must not remain confined to
retaliation and retribution alone. We must unearth the source of the problem and
diagnose the disease beneath the skin. Sheer bandages will not heal the wounds
that are rooted in the injustices of systems and societies. We must try to
understand and grapple with the causes that force human beings to kill human
beings. Why is humanity under assault? Why is humanity becoming devoid of
humanity?
3. No matter what actions we might take against terrorism, this faceless enemy,
which lurks in the shadows of fear and frustration, breeds on hatred and
disillusionment and fed by ignorance and injustice will not disappear unless we
seriously address what lies behind it. Terrorism will continue to haunt us until
we treat its roots, which lie in the inequality of societies, in the
exploitation of downtrodden, in the denial of fundamental rights and in the
sense of injustice. It would be too simplistic to merely focus on the symptoms
or their ugly manifestations.
Mr. President,
4. Terrorism, the anathema of this new century, has to be eliminated root and
branch, in all its forms and manifestations. And, indeed terrorism has many
forms and manifestations, which should also be included within the ambit of the
Security Council resolutions and within the purview of the Counter-Terrorism
Committee. Those who employ the state apparatus to trample upon the fundamental
and inalienable rights of people are also perpetrators of terrorism. If, as
according to some, terrorism is defined by the act, not by the description of
the perpetrators, then alien occupiers and usurpers, especially those who employ
ruthless measures against people under occupation, also fit this definition.
Mr. President,
5. Pakistan rejects and condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
We have never condoned acts of terrorism and have been cooperating with
international community in combating this universal evil. We in Pakistan will
continue to abide by our obligations under the Charter of the United Nations as
well as those under the resolutions of the Security Council. President Musharraf
has clearly pronounced our policy on this matter. In spite of the challenges
faced by Pakistan, we are determined to do what is right and what is just.
Mr. President,
6. These are unusual times demanding exceptional responses. In effectively
confronting the universal evil of terrorism, we cannot be oblivious of the need
to address the source of this problem at its roots. It is time for courageous
decisions, for correcting historical wrongs and redressing endemic injustices.
Our universal obligation to fight terrorism must not deflect us from the need
for a just, lasting and honourable settlement of the Kashmir and Palestine
issues. It is time for the Security Council to restore its credibility and
legitimacy and work as a true instrument of peace and security as mandated by
the UN Charter.
I thank you, Mr. President.
New York
15 April, 2002