Former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. -AFP File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Wednesday underlined the need for result-oriented debate among different political forces to help the country face current national challenges.

In an interaction with the media at Meet the Press programme here at National Press Club, he said that Pakistan's problems could be converted into opportunities but for that national unity was necessary.

“Consensus upon all important national issues is the only way forward. But unfortunately there has never been a serious debate in this regard,” he said.

Referring towards problems of energy crisis, inflation, unemployment and poverty Shah Mehmood Qureshi pointed out that these problems were not new and the people had been facing them for the last several decades. He said that PPP-led government after coming into power had taken steps for resolving these problems.

He said that energy crisis could be resolved by utilizing Thar coal reserves, constructing small dams and utilizing solar energy. He said that steps were needed to increase agricultural production, adding that it would also help reduce prices of edibles in the country.

Qureshi said in the war against terrorism Pakistan suffered more than any other country. He said that the regional situation had also aggravated Pakistan's problems.

He said during his tenure as Foreign Minister he worked for normalization of relations between India and Pakistan without compromising upon core issues. Similarly, he said he had been trying to develop Pakistan's ties with the US on long term partnership basis.

“But unfortunately, the Davis Raymond case brought all those efforts to square one,” he added.

He said there was a realization among the Pakistani people that US attitude towards Pakistan was somewhat discriminatory adding, “Without bridging the trust deficit, the US-Pakistan relations can not be turned into solid ties.”

To a question he said President Asif Ali Zardari initiated and followed the reconciliation policy as espoused by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. But such a policy can only succeed if it is reciprocal, he said while referring to expelling of PPP ministers from the Punjab government.