ISLAMABAD, Oct 22: National consensus is needed to tackle unprecedented world crises and domestic terrorism which have overstretched Pakistan’s resources, putting at risk the country’s survival, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday in reply to a letter sent by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, copies of which were released to the media.

“The magnitude of the trauma our country faces is indeed great, and in many ways unprecedented. The very stability and survival of Pakistan is at stake. Our resources are over-stretched and our economy is severely impacted by … suicide attacks. Innocent citizens … suffer the deadly fallout of this conflict created by traffickers of violence …,” Mr Gilani said.

“The global financial downturn has also squeezed space for growth and recovery in a tight financial situation, with food and oil scarcity haunting our vulnerable communities at a time when they need the most relief.”

In his letter delivered on Monday, Mr Sharif had presented a grim picture of the state of affairs and submitted six proposals for evolving a consensus policy on the war on terror and the overall security situation.

Mr Gilani’s letter outlined the government’s policy for tackling terrorism and extremism and resolving the economic crisis.

“Let me reiterate some of fundamental drivers of what we all seem to agree … That dialogue must be … a principal instrument of conflict … resolution. All those willing to renounce terrorism must be given an opportunity to de-radicalise; development of troubled zones, particularly tribal areas, the NWFP and Balochistan … Deterrence or force must be used only as a last resort ... People must be … moved to avoid non-combatant casualties in conflict zones; the federation must be strengthened through … democratic pluralism, social justice, equitable resource sharing and inter-faith tolerance; the restoration of state structures, law-enforcement and government in troubled zones be done by restoring local customary forums … to avoid a political vacuum and instil community ownership; it is not the military’s job to be permanently deployed in these areas, and the army must be replaced by civilian law enforcers with enhanced capacity; all public and legal mainstreaming of tribal areas be done through a process of consultative consent; Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity be safeguarded … disallow Pakistan’s territory to be used for terrorist attacks on other countries and expel all foreign fighters from our soil; protect Pakistan’s strategic interests by developing stakes in regional peace and trade, both on the western and eastern borders; and institutionalise mechanisms for internal security by enhancing the capacity of our law-enforcement agencies and military; creating resources for rehabilitation and compensation for victims; building public consensus against terrorism through media and religious interventions.

“Unlike the illegitimate government that preceded this one, our … government and I thought it was imperative for elected representatives to be taken into confidence … and for this body to be further empowered to debate such a critical impasse.”

Praising Mr Sharif for expressing concern over the grim situation in the country, Mr Gilani said: “You also demonstrated great sagacity by accepting the need for a national dialogue and development of public consensus on a roadmap to … combat terrorism. I am heartened to note that you and your party have taken up your responsibility as legislators with a shared mandate to save the motherland ... Our strategic goals … clearly converge. We understand that our tribal areas and our border provinces on the western side need special focus if we are to tackle the problem in more ways than one. In terms of framing laws, building institutions, protecting our citizens from violence, strangling terror at its roots, re-building our economy and developing opportunities for the disadvantaged, we all need to be on the same page.”