Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 1999, pages 18, 92

What They Said

Pakistan Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif’s Opening Statement at National Press Club

Following is an abridged version of the opening statement of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif at the National Press Club on Dec. 3, the final full day of his visit to the U.S. national capital:

This is the 51st year of Pakistan’s independence. In the half-century since its birth, Pakistan has been witness to regional upheavals and conflict, global tensions and internal changes. As the Cold War started to unfold, Pakistan and the U.S. forged an immediate partnership. During the Cold War years of hope and despair, our two countries worked together in defense of freedom and liberty. We prevailed.

Despite ups and downs, the Pakistan-U.S. relationship has remained fundamentally strong. We have had a phase of difficult years which must now come to an end in keeping with the new realities. We need to rebuild our partnership on the basis of sovereign equality and mutuality of benefit. Our common commitment to peace, democracy, human rights, free markets and combating terrorism, extremism and narcotics, provides a solid basis for this partnership. Pakistan, located as it is at the critical geo-strategic and cultural crossroads, is a pillar of strength in the Central, South and West Asian regions. A strong and stable Pakistan is indeed in the interest of the whole free world…

Democracy has struck roots deep in the soil of Pakistan. Nothing will be allowed to reverse this. Constitutional measures have already been taken to stabilize democracy. The rule of law has been strengthened. The economy has been restructured…We are determined to forge ahead with our national agenda of growth and good governance reinforced by social and political stability. Pakistan today represents a modern, progressive and forward-looking society…

Our primary concern for the immediate future is the revival of the economy. We have taken up with renewed vigor the agenda of deregulation, liberalization and privatization. Wide-ranging reforms and policy measures have been introduced. We are confident that these measures will increase productivity and promote our objective of self-reliance.

My vision of the future is that sustained economic growth must be accompanied by social welfare…A nation’s strength lies in its people and institutions. Its ability to develop and prosper is conditioned by the geopolitical ambience in which it functions. A menacing and destabilizing environment impedes progress. Peace promotes prosperity.

The quest for regional stability is our major foreign policy endeavor. This received a severe setback in May of this year when India carried out its nuclear tests. We faced a new and perilous situation.

India not only threatened our security through nuclear blackmail but also posed the gravest challenge to date to regional peace and stability. We were left with no option but to respond to India’s nuclear tests. Our tests not only established deterrence but also restored strategic balance. By averting a military misadventure by India against Pakistan, they served the interest of peace and stability in South Asia.

“Coercive diplomacy is immoral. It serves no purpose.”

It should be obvious that our reaction to India’s nuclear tests was purely an act of self-defense. This is the legitimate right of all countries. For us, it was a question of life and existence. The international community remained obsessed with the non-proliferation regimes. There was no consideration for our security concerns. Yet sanctions were imposed on us. We did not violate any international norm. The sanctions were, therefore, unjust and unwarranted.

Coercive diplomacy is immoral. It serves no purpose. We have been living under sanctions for a long time. These sanctions impaired our conventional capability. At the same time, our neighbor was assisted in building up its massive nuclear, ballistic and conventional arsenals. We were, therefore, left with no alternative but to develop our own nuclear deterrent capability. No sanctions can make us renounce this capability.

We, however, remain sensitive to international non-proliferation concerns. Since 1974, every single non-proliferation proposal for our region emanated from Pakistan. These proposals were rejected by India and ignored by the international community.

After the tests, we announced a unilateral moratorium on testing. We have declared our willingness to adhere to the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) in an atmosphere free of coercion. We are participating in the negotiations for a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. We are engaged in a substantive dialogue with the U.S. on nuclear and security issues. We have offered a strategic restraint regime to India, aimed at preventing a nuclear arms race and a nuclear conflict. Our proposal envisages a risk reduction mechanism and the establishment of deterrence at a minimum level. Pakistan also remains committed to its abiding policy of non-transfer of sensitive technology to third countries or entities.

The Kashmir Struggle

India is in violation of the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir. It deals with the legitimate indigenous struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with military repression.

The international community has an obligation to demand the full implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions which guarantee to the Kashmiris the right of self-determination. The resolutions of the Security Council are not time-bound nor open to selective implementation. They remain valid until they are implemented or abrogated through a subsequent resolution. Let the world redeem its pledge.

Kashmir is now the gravest issue on the U.N. agenda. It is a nuclear flashpoint. The problem cannot be wished away. The risk of a nuclear conflict is real. It threatens a region that is home to one-fifth of humanity.

As a man of peace, one of my first initiatives as the prime minister of Pakistan was to resume the dialogue with India. Our hope, that India would seriously address all outstanding matters—particularly the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir—proved illusory.

The need for international engagement to promote a just settlement of the Kashmir dispute is now compelling. We want peace in our region. Only then will we be able to harness our resources and energies to bring progress and prosperity to our peoples.

I have a vision for South Asia. I believe that countries, small and large, can and must live in peace and harmony…The major obstacle in the way of this objective is the continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan. The vision will remain elusive until durable peace and stability is restored in that country.

The severest fallout of the Afghan conflict has been on Pakistan. No country has suffered more because of its continuation. Before the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, we had no drug problem. Today there are more than 3 million addicts. We are a primary victim of terrorism. Gunrunning and smuggling have played havoc with the social and economic fabric of our country. We are still home to more than one-and-a-half million refugees in the face of donor fatigue. These are all compelling reasons for us to be among the foremost advocates for the restoration of durable peace and stability in Afghanistan.

I have explained that in the last 50 years peace has eluded South Asia. The cost has been enormous. The half-century that has passed since the emergence of Pakistan has demonstrated that we have the courage to stand by our principles and what we believe to be right. The mainspring of our foreign policy is the development of friendly and close relations with all countries. We believe that the wider the net of peace, the greater the benefits to all nations. We also have the courage to strive for peace—peace with honor. The creed of this transformed and rapidly changing world is peace and development. We fully subscribe to this.

Thank you.