MUNICH, Feb 8: The international community needs to adopt a comprehensive regional approach focussing on “a generous focus on reconstruction, development and social welfare with participation of all stakeholders” for eradicating terrorism and extremism, says Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Addressing the 45th Security Conference here on Sunday, he said only a solution supported by countries of the region would be sustainable and able to eradicate the threat of terrorism.

He described terrorism as a complex problem and said that laying stress only on military dimension would prove unsuccessful. Unless the people owned responsibility, there could be no lasting success in combating terrorism. The strategy, he said, “must respect local customs, traditions, values and religious beliefs”.

In the “battle for people’s hearts and minds, the power of persuasion must be stronger than the effects of coercion, and an inclusive process must include dialogue and reconciliation,” he said.

The campaign against extremism, he said, would “not be won in the battlefield but in classrooms and in the minds of the people”.

Describing drug money as a major source of terror-funding, he called for coordinated international efforts to stem its flow. He said this issue needed to be addressed. “All disconnects and fragmentations, including within the international coalition and Nato must be addressed.”

Mr Qureshi called for launching a campaign to neutralise the effects of militant ideologies and correct negative perceptions fuelling extremism.

Highlighting Afghanistan’s special significance for Pakistan, Mr Qureshi said peace and security of the two countries were interlinked.

For the past three decades, he said, the conflict in Afghanistan had affected Pakistan. Pakistan had high stakes in peace and stability of Afghanistan, he added.

He said: “Our government has made a new and promising beginning with Afghanistan. This has resulted in restoring trust and confidence and bringing about a fundamental and qualitative transformation in bilateral ties with Afghanistan in all spheres.”

He said both countries “have joined hands to move towards our common vision of peace, prosperity and development for our peoples and the region”.

Mr Qureshi said projects like the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline would create a stake for people living along its route.

He said the Jirgagai process, which started with the Kabul peace jirga, had been a great success and Pakistan and Afghanistan had resolved to pursue the process as a means for promoting dialogue and development.

He said the mechanism of tripartite military commission had also been useful in increasing coordination at strategic and tactical levels.

“However, we remain concerned about the financing and arming of militants. Recent incursions in our territory by militants are a matter of serious concern. Pakistan wishes to see tripartite mechanism further strengthened.”

He said more than three million Afghan refugees were still in Pakistan, posing an additional security risk and providing sanctuary to militants.

On the regional plan, he said Pakistan will be hosting the Third Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan on April 1-2.

“We are in close touch with Afghan authorities and our international partners to make this conference focussed and result-oriented. This event, we hope will prove to be a milestone in assisting Afghanistan in its development efforts and forging greater regional cooperation,” he added.

The minister said that after Afghanistan “perhaps no country has suffered more in human and material terms than Pakistan”.

He said the conflict in Afghanistan had bled Pakistan’s economy, which suffered direct and indirect losses of more than $35 billion.

The minister said that despite recent distractions along the country’s eastern frontier, Pakistan “is assiduously fulfilling its responsibilities along the western border”.

“Critical situations demand critical appraisals. This is an opportune moment to readjust our strategy on the basis of lessons learnt. Our way forward must be grounded in strict adherence to principles enshrined in the UN Charter, observance of international law and respect for the free will and aspirations of sovereign states and their peoples,” Mr Qureshi said.—APP