RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, in Honolulu for talks at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, expressed satisfaction that the United States is working closely with the United Nations to seek a resolution to concerns about weapons in Iraq.
The Pakistani ambassador to the United States says terrorism must be conquered. Pakistani envoy
condemns terrorThe new ambassador
to the United States also sees
the easing of tensions with IndiaBy Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com"It needs to be eliminated from the face of the world," said Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi yesterday in an interview at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. "No cause, no situation can justify the act of terrorism which is directed against innocent human beings."
About 10 East-West Fellows met with Qazi on Tuesday at an informal luncheon at the East-West Center. Qazi, 60, was recently appointed to be Pakistan's ambassador to the United States.
Between 1986 and 1988, Qazi served as Pakistan's ambassador in Syria. From 1990 to 1991 he served in Germany, and in Russia from 1991 to 1994. Qazi was also appointed Pakistan's ambassador to China from 1994 to 1997. Before his appointment to the United States, Qazi was Pakistan's high commissioner to India from March 1997 to May 2002.
Qazi arrived in Honolulu on Sunday to attend a discussion held at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies on "Pakistan's Current Foreign Policy Perspectives in the Region." Qazi left for Washington, D.C., yesterday afternoon.
East-West Fellow Sima Huma said she was hopeful for gender equity in her Pakistani homeland after talking to Qazi. The ambassador spoke about change happening for the role of women in Pakistan, said Huma, 25, who is part of a nine-month Asia Pacific Leadership Program of the East-West Center.
Qazi talked to the fellows about how the U.S. officials need to look at the root of terrorism, Huma said.
Qazi talked yesterday about the possibility of a war between the United States and Iraq.
"We're glad to see that America is working very closely with the United Nations to bring about a resolution that would be a consensus resolution and which would sort of be strong enough to disarm Iraq if Iraq has to be disarmed," he said.
"We are sensitive to the suffering of the Iraqi people."
Qazi also said the tension between India and Pakistan had lessened in recent weeks, and India's prime minister is expected to visit Pakistan for a regional summit in January.
"If that happens, that will be, you know, an encouraging sign and will might sort of look forward to dialogue being resumed," he said.
A solution is needed to ensure peace and stability in the region, he added. "Any war between us would be potentially a very ruinous thing."
Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies
