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Mr. President,
I take this opportunity to extend Pakistan’s facilitation to Mexico and to yourself and your delegation on the assumption of the Presidency of the Council at this crucial moment in global affairs. Your task would be challenging but we have no doubt that you will live up to the high expectations that we have all come to expect from you. I would also wish to convey our high appreciation to our brother Ambassador Mamady Traoré of Guinea for his excellent discharge of responsibilities at a critical period in the history of the United Nations.
Mr. President,
Today we join others in expressing our warm appreciation for the role played by
the Counter Terrorism Committee and especially to Sir Jeremy Greenstock, the
Ambassador of UK for his outstanding and pioneering contributions in this
context. We are sure that Ambassador Arias of Spain will be able to fill these
rather big shoes which Sir Jeremy has left behind.
Mr. President,
The phenomenon of terrorism has faced humanity in one form or another throughout
history. But never before has the threat of terrorism possessed such vast
potential and universal reach as it does today. The events of 9/11 have
magnified both in reality and in perception the threat of terrorism for the
world. No one can discount the danger of the use or threat of use of weapons of
mass destruction, or other modern means of mass destruction by terrorism. This
is indeed a challenge unparalleled in history.
Pakistan has suffered from terrorism for several decades from various sources-
internal and external. This challenge has, however, only strengthened our
resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Pakistan is
proud of the role it has played as a front line in the fight against terrorism
since September 11. We continue to interdict terrorists on our borders with
Afghanistan. Our successes in capturing over 500 suspected terrorists including
some of the senior most members of Al-Qaeda, have not come easy. We owe it in
large part to the heroic efforts of our military and our law enforcement
officials many of whom have paid the ultimate sacrifice in this endeavour. We
are grateful also for the international assistance and cooperation which has
made it possible to apprehend some key suspects.
Mr. President,
Pakistan has noted carefully the report by Ambassador Greenstock on the work of
the CTC since its creation 18 months ago. We have also reviewed the 7th 90-day
work programme and have noted the increased attention the CTC is paying to
practically help member States in receiving technical assistance to enhance
their capacity for counter terrorism. May I underline, Mr. President that, what
is important is that countries should take action against terrorism, and that
they should be provided with the resources and the ability to do so. We must not
get caught up on procedures, processes and reporting requirements which must be
secondary to the actual action on the ground that is taken by States. The CTC
has contributed by focusing on building the capacity of States to pursue the
anti-terror goals. The signature contribution of Sir Jeremy Greenstock and his
able team has been outstanding.
Mr. President,
Today, I would like to look a little bit at the future. We believe that the
United Nations should pursue its counter-terrorism goals with a clear strategic
vision and within a comprehensive framework. The Security Council’s debate today
can help in evolving both. A useful framework for the UN action is contained in
the tripartite strategy proposed last year by the Secretary General’s Policy
Working Group on the United Nations and Terrorism. The strategy consisted of (i)
dissuading disaffected groups from embracing terrorism; (ii) denying groups or
individuals the means to carry out acts of terrorism; and (iii) sustaining broad
based international cooperation in the struggle against terrorism. Also, we need
to focus on both the operational measures and the structural mechanisms required
to succeed in the counter-terrorism campaign.
Mr. President,
The work on Counter-Terrorism has proceeded with moral clarity, and despite
legal ambiguity. The absence of an agreed definition of terrorism is an obvious
impediment to both the operational and structural measures required to combat
terrorism. In particular, in the campaign against terrorism we must not allow
any erosion of the fundamental principles of the U.N. Charter, specially the
principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. Nor should we
exclude from the ambit of anti-terrorism, the phenomena of State terrorism,
which is often the worst form of terrorism in the degree of suffering and
destruction that is visited upon innocent people. In this context, we feel it is
imperative for the Security Council to insist on the evolution of peaceful
solutions to outstanding disputes and conflicts among States.
Mr. President,
The Philosopher Nietzsche once said: “He who fights against monsters should see
to it that he does not become one himself”. Therefore, we believe that the CTC
must give further attention to the need to ensure the protection of human rights
and the observance of international humanitarian law in the anti-terror
campaign. The CTC could, for example, convene an informal working group, which
includes the participation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, members
of the Human Rights Commission, and concerned NGOs, as a useful way to identify
concerns and possible solutions in this context.
For the long-term, there is a need to address the underlying causes – the social
and economic factors – which contribute to the most proximate causes of
terrorism. The existence of poverty, of course, does not directly lead to
terrorism; but poverty weakens States and communities, and creates the
frustrations and desperation in which extremist beliefs and the proclivity to
violence breeds best.
Mr. President,
Resolution 1373, noted in its preamble, acts of terrorism motivated by
“intolerance or extremism”. Pakistan has taken legal and political action
against extremist groups within our society in order to combat extremism and
manifestation of terrorism. We have noted and welcomed statements which say that
the war against terrorism is not a war against Islam. This assurance must be
given greater credibility at the political and operational level. There are at
least three aspects which need to be addressed: Firstly, we need to promote
greater mutual understanding between religions and cultures. Pakistan has made a
proposal to this end in the General Assembly and we hope its adoption would
contribute to this aspect.. Two, we must focus not only on Islamic extremism but
also on other forms of religious and ideological extremism which is manifested
in various parts of the world.
Today I would like to draw attention to terrorism which is promoted by certain
extremist political parties which have been responsible for the massacre of
thousands of Muslims – women and children – in areas adjacent to Pakistan. These
groups are presently busy raising funding through so-called charities in richer
countries including this country. This funding, we are afraid, will be used to
finance acts of extremism and terrorism. We must try and find ways to put a stop
to this. Three, the focus so far on terrorism spawned by extremists in the
Islamic world, should not be allowed to suppress the legitimate rights and
aspirations of Muslim peoples and Islamic nations in various parts of the world.
This is clearly the case in the context of the legitimate aspirations of the
people of Palestine and Jammu & Kashmir to exercise their right to
self-determination in accordance with the prescriptions of the UN Security
Council resolutions. The slogan of counter-terrorism used by the government in
New Delhi as the most convenient stick with which to beat back the rising tide
of the Kashmiris’ struggle for freedom, is unacceptable.
Mr. President,
The Secretary General in his statement at the Security Council’s Ministerial
meeting on Combating Terrorism on 20 January 2003 had pointedly referred to this
trend: “We are seeing too many cases where States living in tension with their
neighbours make opportunistic use of the fight against terrorism to threaten or
justify new military action on long-running disputes.”
Mr. President,
Last year witnessed the phenomenon of a terrorist incident being utilized by one
State to justify a large-scale military mobilization and the threat of use of
force. The resulting military confrontation almost led to a major war between
two States which possessed nuclear weapons. It is essential to devise some
safeguard mechanism to prevent terrorist incidents, and unsubstantiated
allegations, from becoming the cassus belli for the use or threat of force
contrary to the UN Charter.
One safeguard mechanism could be through the adoption of a decision by the
Security Council that whenever one State makes an allegation against another
State that the latter is responsible for a terrorist act or incident, such
allegations must be investigated impartially – perhaps by a UN fact-finding
mission or another UN mechanism. States should not be allowed to act as the
judge, jury and executioner and to use allegations of terrorism for the purposes
of propaganda or , worse, for the threat of use of force and worse still, the
use of force.
I thank you, Mr. President.