Remarks by His Excellency Mr. Jehangir Karamat,
The Appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
on the occasion of Presentation of his Credentials to
The Honorable George W. Bush, President
of the United States of America
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Mr. President,

I am honoured to have the privilege of presenting to you my credentials as Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States. It is a happy coincidence that I am assuming my responsibilities soon after you have won a fresh mandate from the American people. Your re-election is a tribute to your wise leadership and a recognition of your remarkable achievements during the first term of your presidency.

Please accept, Mr. President, warm congratulations on your reelection as President of the United States.

I have brought personal regards and sincere felicitations from the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shaukat Aziz. I also bring warm greetings from the 150 million people of Pakistan for you and the friendly people of the United States.

Mr. President,

The longstanding friendship between Pakistan and the United States spans over half a century. We have remained most intimate friends and closest allies throughout that period. Together, our two countries have accomplished much in shaping world events from the victory in the Cold War to liberation of Afghanistan from Soviet occupation. Pakistan is also proud of the contribution that it was able to make to bring closer two of its trusted friends, the United States and China.

Our relations attained new heights following the terrible events of 9/11 as the two countries once again joined hands, this time to fight the scourge of terrorism.

While a decisive victory in the war on terror may take some more time, we are moving close to that goal every day. The terror network of al- Qaeda has been dismantled and terrorists are on the run. They no longer have any sanctuary from where to operate. A large number of terrorists have been killed. Some 600 terrorists, including top al Qaeda figures like Khaled Sheikh Mohammd, Abu Zubaida and Ramzi bin al Shibh, have been brought to justice. Terrorist hideouts along Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan have been destroyed. Both military force as well as political means are being employed to cleanse the area of miscreants. Life is going to be harder for the terrorists still at large as our knowledge of al Qaeda network is improving by the day. There is broad support among the people of Pakistan to the government’s agenda of ridding the country of terrorism and extremism.

Mr. President,

The pivotal role that Pakistan is playing in the war on terror is not lost on the terrorists. They are targeting our civilians, our armed forces and our leadership. They made two cowardly attempts on the life of the President. They targeted Mr. Shaukat Aziz, who is now our Prime Minister. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, an Army Corps Commander was attacked.

Pakistan, its people, its armed forces, and its leadership cannot be cowed down by the terrorists. We know that these are acts of desperation by a bunch of criminals who do not have any future and any hope.

Mr. President,

Pakistan takes its responsibilities in nuclear and other strategic technology areas seriously. To safeguard against nuclear and biological weapons proliferation, Pakistan’s Parliament recently passed a comprehensive legislation on export controls. An effective Nuclear Command & Control Authority has been set up to ensure control over Pakistan’s strategic assets. We have also established the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority for regulating and supervising nuclear safety and for radiation protection in civilian nuclear installations as well as for establishing a regulatory framework.

Mr. President,

Pakistan is strongly committed to peace, security and stability at the regional and global levels. Our relations with our eastern neighbour have come a long way since December 2001. There have been several rounds of talks in Islamabad and New Delhi since President Musharraf met former Prime Minister Vajpayee in Islamabad on the occasion of the SAARC Summit. President Musharraf had a constructive meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York.

Pakistan is for breaking the deadlock. We want a real movement on all issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. President Musharraf has reiterated this point times and again. We have welcomed New Delhi’s decision to withdraw some of its troops from Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr. President,

Pakistan is deeply appreciative of the positive role that the United States has played under your able leadership in encouraging the two countries towards revival of the composite dialogue process. The opportunities offered by the present congenial atmosphere must be availed to address the real issues, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in order to make a real headway in the improvement of relations between Pakistan and India.

Mr. President,

A welcome transformation is underway in our neighbouring country Afghanistan. No country has suffered more from the crises in Afghanistan than Pakistan. And no country would gain more than Pakistan from peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Presidential elections held in Afghanistan on October 9 were a landmark in the transitional process. President Musharraf personally visited Kabul to congratulate President Karzai on his landslide victory in the historic election. Pakistan remains committed to support the Bonn process.

Pakistan provides Afghanistan a natural outlet to the sea and is well positioned to help Afghanistan in its reconstruction. We have extended an assistance package of $100 million. Our real potential is in investment, trade and joint ventures. This is evident from the fact that two way trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has touched $1 billion annually within the short period of induction of the new government in Afghanistan under President Karzai. Both countries are determined to realize this potential for the benefit of the two peoples.

Mr. President,

The Government of Pakistan, under the guidance of President General Pervez Musharraf, is determined to turn Pakistan into a moderate, dynamic and forward looking democratic Islamic state. The government is engaged in reform of the Madrassas, as part of a multibillion rupee programme of modernizing the entire educational system in the country.

Simultaneously, the government is working on a comprehensive programme of judicial and police reform in order to improve their efficiency, especially in dealing with the challenge of terrorism.

Mr. President,

There is vast potential for mutually beneficial cooperation between Pakistan and the United States in diverse fields. We are gratified to note that there is now a bipartisan commitment in the U.S. to a long term strategic partnership with Pakistan. The first manifestation of this commitment was the multibillion dollar assistance package that you announced on the occasion of the historic summit with President Musharraf at Camp David last year. In June this year, the United States designated Pakistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally. We applaud your vision and appreciate your personal commitment to this renewed partnership with Pakistan.

The long term broad-based relationship must encompass economic, technical and commercial fields. It is gratifying that bilateral trade and U.S. investment in Pakistan have significantly increased in recent years. We are looking forward to further growth in economic relations including a steady flow of investment funds in the years to come. Early conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement is essential in order to achieve these objectives.

During my tenure as Ambassador of Pakistan, it would be my sincere desire to work towards the realization of the full potential of our relations and to further deepen the friendship between our two countries. In this endeavour, I am looking forward to working closely with colleagues in your administration.

I thank you, Mr. President.