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Thursday March 28, 2024

Increased aid to Pakistan not strings-free: Baroness Warsi

LONDON: Britain has communicated to Pakistan in clear terms that there are stringent terms and condi

By Murtaza Ali Shah
April 23, 2011
LONDON: Britain has communicated to Pakistan in clear terms that there are stringent terms and conditions attached to increased development aid, Cabinet Minister and Conservative Co-chair Sayeeda Warsi said Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with The News, Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister spoke about Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Pakistan and his announcement of £650 million in assistance for education and better security cooperation in Pakistan. Cameron’s announcement was met with hostility in sections of the British press, which accused him of ignoring Britain’s own economic woes.
Explaining why Britain had to set these conditions, Warsi said the aid money “must not be swindled” and must end up with the right people.
“We are going through some very challenging economic times at the moment in Britain and we have to take some tough decisions. But we have always been clear: it would be absolutely wrong to pay down our debts on the backs of the poor or those who need our help. And that’s why it’s right we stand by Pakistan at this time.”
Britain’s first Muslim cabinet minister said that the UK had a clear understanding that a secure, prosperous, open and flourishing Pakistan meant a secure, prosperous, open and flourishing Britain. She said UK ties with Pakistan had shifted from “a transactional” relationship to “a very strategic” partnership which involved a wide range of new areas of cooperation.
Warsi reiterated that the aid came with certain conditions; Pakistan would be the largest recipient of UK aid but this would be dependent on securing value for the money and results.
“It is not possible that we just give money to Pakistan and say that these are our aspirations,” said Warsi, who accompanied Cameron to Pakistan. “In fact, we have very clear ambitions, which include some programmes in education and in particular female education. Also, we’d like to be working in every part of Pakistan.”
The aid, she went on, “is linked to the government of Pakistan’s own progress on reforms at both the federal and provincial levels”, including steps to build a more dynamic economy, broaden the country’s tax base and put an end to corruption.
Noting that 38 million people in Pakistan live in poverty, on £1 a day or less, while 17 million children are out of school, she said: “Our priorities over the next four years are: education; women and children’s health; job creation; supporting economic growth; and strengthening democracy.”
Warsi also tackled the issue of tax evasion by the rich in Pakistan, saying that this issue needed to be fixed. “It would be totally unacceptable for the rich people of Pakistan to avoid paying taxes, while both the rich and the poor in Britain pay their taxes and help the Pakistani people. At the moment, far too few people in Pakistan pay their taxes. This is a problem which needs to get fixed.”
She said Cameron respected and understood the close cultural, economic, social and political ties between Britain and Pakistan. “David Cameron said that this is a very important unbreakable friendship for Britain. For me it is a beautiful relationship, as my parents are originally from Pakistan and I was born and brought up here, so when these two countries come together and plan for a shared future, it is great moment for me,” she added.
Referring to Pak-India relations and Cameron’s statements during his India trip that created resentment in Pakistan, Warsi described the prime minister as “a very frank and open person who has a remarkable understanding of what is happening in the world”, but said his comments were completely blown out of proportion.
In the interview, Warsi also dilated on the Alternative Vote, which is set for referendum on May 5. She is a passionate defender of the current “first past the post” and defended her argument on the subject, saying: “I have a very clear position on this and in my view we should keep the current system and we should vote “No” in the referendum.”
She added: “Because I think there is a very clear principle at stake that no matter who you are, whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, a white person or black, when you go inside a ballot booth you have one vote and every vote matters equally. This is a fundamental principle that has inspired millions of people around the world. (Today) 2.4 billion people in the world use this system, Pakistan uses the same system (too).”
She said only Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea use the AV system but reminded that when Australia adopted the new system voter turnout dropped. “People decreased their engagement with politics because people were turned off; this system was so confusing and they really did not like it. Even today in Australia, six out of 10 people say they want to get rid of AV.”
Warsi also spoke movingly about Britain’s involvement in Libya and said it was motivated by a humanitarian crisis in the North African country in order to prevent massacre of innocent people by Col Moammar Gadhafi’s militia.
“When the war in Iraq began, I myself protested on the streets because I believed that this was a wrong war and we should not go into and intervene in Iraq. But I feel there is a big difference between Iraq and Libya,” she said.
“First, the intervention in Libya has taken place because there is a demonstrable need and we have clearly gone there in order to protect civilians,” Warsi explained.
“Second, there is clear legal basis for the intervention and as a lawyer my biggest concern over the war in Iraq is its legality; here there is a very clear United Nation’s resolution. And thirdly there is broad regional and international support which includes many Muslim countries and in particular the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).”
She said the international community could not stand bywhile a regime murdered innocent civilians. “I’ve spent some time in Bosnia, learning about the massacre in Srebrenica where 8,000 Muslims were killed. I think the world just stood by and allowed that to happen. We need to learn from this terrible lesson and never let it happen again.”