Islamabad: Pakistan has suffered more than any other country from terrorism, President Asif Ali Zardari said at a SAARC conference here.
Terrorism has claimed 40,000 lives in Pakistan and also caused economic loss of $80 billion, he said at the 6th meeting of SAARC speakers and parliamentarians Sunday.
Durable peace in the region was in the interest of all, he said, and urged the SAARC nations to join hands to fight extremism and terrorism.
The SAARC groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. India’s Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar also participated.
SAARC parliaments should lead efforts to protect political liberties, human freedom and the rule of law to promote regional peace, the Geo TV quoted him as saying.
Strong parliaments play a crucial role in ushering in reforms, Zardari said, pointing that the present democratically elected government in Pakistan will complete its term.
“We are well on our way to realizing democracy’s dividends,” he said.
In other news, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will visit Qatar for two days from Tuesday for dialogue on bilateral and regional issues, officials said Sunday. The issue of raging Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan is also likely to be discussed during the visit.
The president will hold talks with Qatar’s Emir and the prime minister with particular focus on promoting trade and investment ties in a bid to boost bilateral ties, an official was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
During his visit Zardari will also meet eminent Qatari businessmen and invite them to invest more in Pakistan. (IANS)
