David Miliband

Foreign Secretary

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Sunday 20 September, 2009

Pakistan deserves support

I saw President Zadari last night to discuss next week's Friends of Democratic Pakistan Summit meeting to be co-chaired by the Prime Minister, President Obama and President Zadari in New York next week.  The scale of attacks on his country - for example 300 schools burnt down in the Swat district alone in the last 18 months - is testimony to the importance the insurgency place on destabilisation there.  But the combined response of government and people - in part in revulsion at the insurgency's values - has been striking.  The majority of the 2.3 million people dislocated from their homes by violence in north west Pakistan have now returned to their homes after military action.  But violent extremism continues to threaten Pakistan and its people, as well as the stability of the region and beyond.  The Summit meeting is a chance to reaffirm support from the international community and to broaden out the fight against extremism in Pakistan.  I hope it will do so.

Posted at 12:01 20 September 2009 by David Miliband  |  Comments[5]

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I suppose it is useful to concentrate on Pakistan. Maybe you will get round next week to discussing the extremism in Palestine. I am surpised that you have no comment on the UN's report of Israeli war crimes and no comment on the Trade Union boycott of Israel. The 5 million Palestian people dislocated from their homes by violence and under occupation for many years does not seem to matter. Israel has continued to destablise the region and beyond for 60 years. However, we probably need another summit to offer Israel international support!

Posted by Paul Macdonald on September 20, 2009 at 02:50 PM BST #

With regards to Pakistan I think it might have helped if we had protected Benazir Bhutto. A sad loss, not just for Pakistan.

Posted by Adrian Peirson on September 25, 2009 at 10:09 PM BST #

Destroying schools to stop empowering people is a striking example about extremist values. It's also a great point to mobilise people against extremism.

Posted by Chamila Liyanage on September 26, 2009 at 10:22 AM BST #

Dear David,I do full agree to your position that Pakistan deserves the full support of the international community.I also want to add that every single help act to Pakistan is also a strong one to the still fragile democratic system of PM Zadari and his government. It's important to me to read that millions of dislocated people in the North-West-Area have returned to their homes.Last but not least will an assistance to this country end in a stabilization,a stronger democratic Pakistan and stop violent extremism.That's why I think that another result could be a victory for the democracy in the entire area. Best wishes Ingo-Steven Wais

Posted by Ingo-Steven Wais on October 05, 2009 at 09:58 AM BST #

Dear David, I've posted my 1st comment to "Pakistan deserves..." about 2 min. before I've heard via BBC - News of this new terrible suicide-bomber attack at the UN World Food Programme in Islamabad- killing 5 people.Of course, I was deeply shocked. Nevertheless:It's a sad fact but I do strongly believe that the UN's decision to withdraw some of their personal there,according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Geneva,leads direct to the wrong direction. For it's clear that this result was one of the intentions of these violent extremists. Best wishes, Ingo-Steven Wais

Posted by Ingo-Steven Wais on October 07, 2009 at 05:27 PM BST #

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