UK may hand over Musharraf

ISLAMABAD - President Asif Ali Zardari and British Prime Minister David Cameron had a meeting Tuesday evening at the Aiwan-e-Sadr and held wide-ranging discussions on various issues of bilateral cooperation, Pak-UK strategic dialogue, the fight against militancy, regional issues, greater trade access to the EU markets for Pakistani goods, collaboration in the fields of trade and investment, agriculture, education and culture. In a significant remark relevant to Pakistani politics, the UK PM, to a questioner, said if the Pakistani government made a formal request for extradition of former president Pervez Musharraf, Britain would decide according to its law and constitution. “We don’t have any formal extradition treaty but if Pakistan pursued it through legal course then Britain would look into the matter.” His statement was an allusion that no formal request has been made by the government of Pakistan in this regard so far. Briefing the media, the spokesperson to the President, Farhatullah Babar said that Britain has committed nearly 450 million pounds annual economic and development assistance to Pakistan over four years from 2011. Out of this 650 million pounds have been earmarked for education alone over the next four years.Prime Minister Cameron recognised the sacrifices made by Pakistan’s military, civil law enforcement agencies and people in fighting violent extremism and militancy, and appreciated the efforts of the democratic government. The President stressed the need that the two sides should gear up to achieve the objectives set out in the Declaration of Enhanced Strategic Dialogue signed earlier in the day. He said: “We believe that the National Security Dialogue comprising political, military and intelligence tracks would lead to creating a better understanding in bringing about clarity on issues of peace and security.” On the Afghan situation, the President said that peace and stability in Afghanistan was necessary for regional peace, and emphasised Afghan-led, rather than foreign-led, peace process in the country. The President said that any initiative on Afghanistan should ensure Afghan ownership of the process as well as territorial integrity of the country and that its soil was not used against any other country. President Zardari said that Pakistan offers attractive incentives for foreign investment including foreign equity up to 100% and repatriation of 100% capital and profit. The President also sought Britain’s support in on GSP Plus, commencement of negotiations for Pak-EU Free Trade Agreement and also the resuming of the export of fisheries products to the EU. He also called for revisiting the suspension of British Airways flights to Pakistan which were suspended after the Marriott terrorist attack in 2008. Discussing regional situation, the President said that the dialogue process between Pakistan and India has resumed and our prime minister had a very good meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Mohali.
The President later hosted dinner in honour of the British Prime Minister. Earlier, both sides agreed to establish an Enhanced Strategic Dialogue for a stronger, deeper, franker and more practical bilateral relationship for mutual security, stability and prosperity.The Foreign Office said the United Kingdom would pursue greater trade access for Pakistan to the European Union including a Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and EU.Separately, pledging 650 million pounds sterling aid for education sector British Prime Minister David Cameron termed the amity between United Kingdom and Pakistan as unbreakable.

At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, both the PMs vowed to enhance bilateral investment and to take the trade between the two states from pound sterling 1.2 to 2.5 billion by year 1215. The day-long interaction between the two sides also covered the UK-Pakistan National Security Dialouge.At the outset of the press conference UK Premier David Cameron said “let me begin by saying without any hesitation that Britain’s friendship with Pakistan is unbreakable.”The two countries have agreed to try to double bilateral trade to £2.5 billion a year by 2015, he added.On the security sector, Cameron said that the two sides agreed on police services and intelligence cooperation, besides discussing the importance of Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship. He said that both the countries shared the need of having a peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan.“Pakistan suffered greatly in tackling terrorism and extremism,” he said.On education, Cameron said that the United Kingdom had launched a new package to help Pakistan in imparting education to four million children, training to 90,000 teachers and provision of six million textbooks.
Responding to a question on spending a huge amount on Pakistan’s education, Cameron said his coalition government had increased the overseas budget by 7.7 per cent of the gross national income as it was in the interest of the United Kingdom to support the poorest in the poor countries in education, maternal health and in fighting poverty.“Putting money in health, education is an investment to make Pakistan a trading success and a skill success.”Prime Minister Gilani thanked the United Kingdom for his priority to education, despite the restraints.