AP, Beijing – Only education, improved living standards and the empowerment of poor people can stamp out terrorism, Pakistan's president told Chinese students on Tuesday, a day after he promised his country would not be a haven for extremists.
“If we want to win the war against extremism and terrorism, we must also address the root causes,” General Pervez Musharraf told students at Peking University during a visit to China, Pakistan's long-time ally.
“Operations against al-Qaeda and Taliban, Hamas and Hezbollah are all of short-term tactical value. Long-term strategy lies in addressing the root causes of terrorism,” he said.
Pakistan, which shares a border with northwestern China, is a key ally in the US-led fight against terrorism. In September, a Communist Party official said Muslim separatists from western China were being trained in camps in Pakistan, but he offered no details.
On Monday, Musharraf and President Hu Jintao signed an extradition treaty and the Pakistani president promised he wouldn't allow extremists to use his country as a base for operations.
“What is the cause of extremism and militancy? It is hopelessness, powerlessness, desperation, injustice and because of non-resolution of long-standing political disputes,” Musharraf said. “Also added to this are poverty and lack of education.”
Musharraf, who has already met with Hu and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, was to meet with more Chinese leaders on Tuesday and address business executives.
During his visit, he has sought to strengthen already healthy ties between his South Asian country and China.
China is the main supplier of defence equipment to Pakistan, and the two countries share a border in the rugged Karakoram mountains.
“Relations between our two people go back to antiquity when the fabled Silk Route served as a conduit not only for commerce but also for ideas and knowledge,” Musharraf said. “The emergence of China in the Asia Pacific as the new economic powerhouse has balanced the pre-eminence of the West in shaping global trade and economic relations.”
Musharraf said he welcomed Chinese investment in Pakistan. Agreements were signed on Monday, after his meeting with Hu, to expand projects for Chinese companies to mine for metals in Pakistan and award a contract for a Chinese firm to build railroad signaling systems in Pakistan.
