Friday 17 February 2012,
(BNA) ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Friday said Pakistan along with Afghanistan and Iran was committed to jointly work to rid the region of the "menace" of terrorism.
Addressing a joint press conference with the Presidents of Afghanistan and Iran here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, at the end of the third trilateral summit, President Zardari said only joint efforts could help the region overcome terrorism, which he believed was being fuelled by billions of dollars of drug trade.
"The three presidents, and our extended neighbours will fight this menace," he said at the press conference that was also addressed by Presdident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and President Hamid Karzai.
President Zardari said he has repeatedly raised his voice internationally to urge the world to join hands in helping the region counter drug trade.
To a question, the president of Pakistan t strongly dispelled the notion that the country's armed forces were directly or indirectly involved in supporting the extremist or terrorist elements.
He however said there might be some elements in the country, whom he termed as "residue of war" who could be blamed for militancy. He said these persons were the remnants of the war against Soviet Union who fought in Afghanistan.
"I personally suffered a loss," the President said and referred to the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto in a terrorist attack and said still "no one would tell me who was the financer of Baitullah Mahsud."
Zardari said the three presidents have gathered here with the objective to build nations.
The summit that resolved to address all its issues regionally was aimed at enhancing cooperation at all levels between the three countries.
President Karzai said any impediments in the way would be removed and termed the tripartite meeting "future-oriented" that helped focus on recognition of opportunites and formulation of an actionable and implementable policy to act upon.
"InshAllah we are going to witness a very good progress," President Ahmadinejad said.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said foreign nations were determined to dominate the region and this should not be allowed.
"There are countries that are determined to dominate our region. And they have targeted our region for their domination and hegemony," he said. "We should deny others the opportunity to interfere in our affairs."
The Iranian president did not say to which countries he was referring.
"There is no fundamental problem among the countries of the region. All the problems are coming from outside," he said.
