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Thursday March 28, 2024

Pakistan front-runner for world peace: CJCSC

By Mehtab Haider
February 18, 2019

TAXILA: Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Zubair Mahmood Hayat said on Sunday that Pakistan is front runner for ensuring regional and global peace as it is against all kinds of terrorism.

He specially mentioned Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative where 5000 religious scholars and Ulema gave fatwa against extremism and terrorism last year. It aimed at seeking plural society and equal rights to every citizen. Paigham-e-Pakistan condemns all forms of extremism and terrorism and against declaring arm struggle against the state.

“This trajectory leads towards modern and progressive society. Those of you who are not familiar with it, they are highly encouraged to go through it because doing so we are charting our own course. We are also playing a leading role for regional and global peace as our contributions are unrivaled in UN Peace Keeping Missions across the globe,” the CJCSC said as chief guest addressing “Orange Festival” for diplomatic crops organised by Syed Zaheer Shah and Syed Ehsan Shah at Zaildar House Taxila on Sunday.

More than 100 diplomats of different countries along with their families and children participated in this festival and seemed upbeat to know the real image of the country. On the occasion, General Hayat said that Pakistan is among the top major contributors for UN peace keeping missions across the globe in last 50 years.

Beginning from Congo in 1960, he said Pakistan has contributed into 43 UN missions in 26 different countries with 172,000 peace keeping forces including 400 women. Our 157 Pakistanis peace keepers including 24 officers have laid down their lives for regional and global peace, he added. Today more than 6000 Pakistan’s peace keeping soldiers are deployed at different parts of the world, he noted.

He said that there are best tourists’ resorts in Pakistan as the tourism had started getting healthy gains after improvement in security situation as 1.75 million tourists visited Pakistan during 2017. Now with more relaxed visa policy, World Travel and Tourism Council estimated that Pakistan could generate $36 billion in next decade till 2030, he added.

He said that Pakistan was proud of our progressive agriculture base as this part was known as bread basket of the world. All agricultural crops have witnessed phenomenal growth since inception of Pakistan as wheat production went up by 628 percent as country of 30 million plus was deficient in wheat but today country 220 million was producing surplus wheat. Likewise the production of rice has gone up by 1744 percent since 1947, sugarcane by 875 percent and cotton by 1016 percent, he maintained.

He said Pakistan agriculture productivity ranges below as global standards as the share of agriculture in our GDP currently standing at 18 percent could be jacked up to 38 percent. This is doable and we are on path to do it, he further said.

Similarly, he said Pakistan is fifth largest dairy producer and can increase exports of milk and beef to Middle East and Central Asian Republics (CARs). He said that Pakistani Diaspora in second and third generation was matter of pride for us as they are major source of remittances. He said that top five managers of banking sector and financial institutions and he did not want to forget to mention tireless workers such as taxi drivers, builders and others were contributing a lot for Pakistan. He said that Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East, Europe and USA was making us proud.

He said Pakistan accommodated refugees since 1947 as eight millions came from across the border and since 1979 Pakistan hosted 5 million refuges. We are still hosting 2.7 million Afghan refuges, he added. He said Pakistanis are brilliant people and serving in many parts of the world.

Two representatives from diplomatic crops including HE Atajan Mizralamove (Dean of Diplomatic Crops) from Azerbaijan and another representative also spoke on the occasion and thanked the host for this continuous hospitality that had become an annual feature.

Zaildar Ahsan Shah said that the diplomats cried when they left Pakistan after completing their tenures. Syed Zaheer Shah Zaildar said on the occasion that they want to promote real image of Pakistan as we are tolerant and peace loving people. On the occasion, the horse dance and stone lifting competition held. The diplomatic also enjoyed traditional music by local singer Malik Salman. The diplomats enjoyed delicious local food at the end of the ceremony.