Mushahid urges world community to avoid double standards towards Ummah
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed Tuesday urged the world community to avoid double standards on the issues concerning Muslim Ummah amd made sincere efforts for just and amicable settlement of Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir and other disputes.
Talking to an 11-member delegation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) ‘UK Branch’ headed by Labour MP Harry Cohen here at Parliament House, Mushahid said there is need for political settlement of the issue through dialogue and the blame game should end to promote peace and harmony in the world. Explaining the background of Afghanistan situation, Mushahid said Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue through dialogue and all the neighbouring countries should be taken on board.
He said terrorism has no religion and its an international phenomenon and the world should coordinate to tackle this issue. He deplored the linking of Islam with terrorism.
Emphasising the need to review and reassess the policies by the West on the issue of Afghanistan, Iraq and other issues related to Muslims, Senator Mushahid said world should find ways to resolve these issues. He explained in detail, the situation in Afghanistan adding that after 1979, the West and America went back from Afghanistan which created disturbances and now after the event of 9/11, the Afghanistan is again in the active world politics.
Senator Mushahid said Pakistan extended full support to Karzai government and even provided help on the occasion of his elections so that the Afghan refugees could cast their vote.
He said there are many internal problems in Afghanistan including increase in the poppy cultivation, which has aggravated the situation.
Mushahid said a peaceful and negotiated settlement is the only way-out of Afghanistan quagmire and it must be followed by setting up a truly representative and broad-based government in Kabul. He called for immediate restoration of the dialogue process among the stakeholders in Afghanistan adding that on-going war on terrorism is leading in a wrong direction and would not achieve it objectives.
Mushahid said Pakistan has a special relations with the Commonwealth and UK adding that Pakistan is firmly committed to the objectives of this relationship.
The delegation led by Labour MP Harry Cohen and comprising members from the House of Lords and House of Commons appreciated the committee system in the parliament.
The members of the delegation while expressing their views on various subjects said they are also against the attack on Iraq.
The members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also explained their views on the regional and international issues and demanded that instead of using force, the world community and especially the Commonwealth should play its due role to settle these disputes and issues through negotiations. Earlier, the delegation when arrived here was received at the airport by Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry and Secretary Senate Raja Muhammad Amin.
The Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed hosted lunch for the members of the delegation. The visit of the delegation aims at exploring matters of mutual interest between Pakistan and UK especially for further strengthening the parliamentary relations.