Praising Qatar’s efforts to promote peace and stability in the world, Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics, Senator Rehman Malik (pictured), has said that Doha Forum is a great initiative where everyone participates for an open discussion on complex global current issues.
Senator Malik, who served as Pakistan's Interior Minister from 2008 to 2013 during the previous Pakistan People’s Party regime, was talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of Doha Forum. He also chaired a side session on Sunday at the Forum.
“Doha Forum is a great initiative of Qatar’s leadership. They are trying to bring peace in restive regions of the world,” he said, adding that terrorism had become a number one global issue which needed to be addressed with coordinated efforts of all world nations.
Appreciating Qatar’s efforts for peace, Senator Malik said that Qatar had successfully mediated to settle long-standing disputes in various regions. “Qatar played a vital role in resolving armed conflict in Darfur, Sudan.”
He added: “Doha Forum is the platform where all countries participate and they discuss various complicated issues in an open and candid environment.” He said that his meetings with Qatar's Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs were very useful.
“I appreciate Qatar’s leadership’s consistency in pursuing path of talks to bring peace and stability in different restive parts of the world particularly in Islamic countries.” Senator Malik said that Qatar's emphasis on dialogue to bring peace in war-torn countries was laudable.
Quoting a passage from the speech delivered by Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the opening ceremony of 17th edition of Doha Forum, the Senator said Pakistan endorsed the point of view of the Emir that “terrorism and extremism are a global phenomenon that are not linked to any particular society, people or religion.”
Rehman Malik said that IS had become a bigger monster than Al Qaeda. “Being Pakistan’s interior minister I had predicted spread of IS to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe from Iraq few years ago but some people raised objections over my assessment. Now it is a reality.” Malik said that the whole world must evolve a common strategy against common enemy (terrorists). “Unfortunately terrorists are united but nations are polarised. The world powers in particular have to have a clear strategy against terrorism.”
Talking on Pakistan’s current security situation, he said that Pakistan was suffering from both Eastern and Western borders. “I am also seeing increase of US troops in Afghanistan in coming time.” He said that the departure of US troops from Afghanistan would ultimately bring stability in Afghanistan.
Senator Malik said that he had launched an organisation, “Global Eye”, to promote interfaith harmony in Pakistan and the world. “Soon, I am going to hold seminars from this platform. I wanted to utilise my knowledge and experience to eradicate religious intolerance and sectarianism.”
He said that during his tenure as Pakistan’s interior minister he had taken up issues related to “misinterpretation” of terrorism with world powers. “I also wrote an eight-point letter to incumbent US President expressing my concerns on linking terrorism with Islam and using ‘Islamic Terrorism’ term.”
Responding to a question on Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, he said that he himself had pitched a similar idea few years ago.
“I had suggested to former President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, that Islamic countries should have their own military alliance like NATO. I think OIC should also have a role in it.”
He said that Syria crisis should be resolved through peaceful process of dialogue and world powers should play their due role in bringing people’s suffering to an immediate end.
