Pakistan's ARF entry boosts Asia's war against terror

Pakistan's ARF entry boosts Asia's war against terror

Veeramalla Anjaiah, Jakarta

The entry of Pakistan, a Muslim state with about 155 million
population, into Asia's top regional security forum on Friday
will mark a new milestone in the 10-year old grouping and provide
new strength against terror in the region.

With the entry of Pakistan -- a nuclear state and close ally
of both the capitalist U.S. and communist China -- the ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) will emerge as the world's number one
security forum with its consensus decision-making and minimal
institutionalism in addition to most of the world's nuclear
powers as its members.

After Friday, the ASEAN-driven ARF will have 24 members,
including 14 dialog partners, and represent the interests of more
than 4 billion people.

This list may expand further in the coming years, Indonesia's
foreign minister said.

Pakistan's entry into ARF will boost ASEAN's efforts to curb
terrorism in Southeast Asia as many of the region's suspected
terrorists were once trained in militant camps in Pakistan as
part of the series of Afghan wars.

"Pakistan's participation in ARF is thus not only necessary
but also relevant. At best, ASEAN-Pakistan cooperation could
completely eradicate terrorism in Southeast Asia," Siswo Pramono,
deputy director for global organization at the Indonesian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan, along with Japan, are scheduled to sign the Treaty
and Amity Cooperation (TAC), which serves as the code of conduct
governing ties between states and promoting peace, stability and
cooperation in the region.

For Pakistan's part, it would be a great success for its
strenuous efforts and pro-active diplomacy over the last several
months.

Pakistan, a country that suffered a series of setbacks until
recently on the international arena because of its military
government, nuclear testing and alleged patronage to the
Taliban's terror regime in Afghanistan, has been trying to join
the ARF for quite some time.

Just one year ago in Phnom Penh, Pakistan's bid to join ARF
was foiled by its traditional rival India, another nuclear power
from South Asia and a member of ARF, despite the endorsement from
ASEAN's senior leader and Malaysia's then prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. At the time, India's concern was that Pakistan might
raise the controversial issue of Kashmir at the forum.

Since coming to power in 1999, Pakistan President Gen. Pervez
Musharraf had shown a special interest in developing a personal
rapport with ASEAN leaders, especially from Indonesia, which has
the world's largest population of Muslims.

Musharraf invited then Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid
in 2000 and paid a return visit to Indonesia in the same year. He
has utilized every opportunity, at summits and UN sessions, to
hold bilateral talks with Indonesian President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and extended state invitations to ASEAN leaders to
visit Pakistan.

In addition, he has sent his prime minister and other
ministers to the region from time to time.

Musharraf's bold overtures to improve ties with his giant
neighbor and foe India, with whom Pakistan has gone to war with
three times in five decades, also paid dividends and won India's
endorsement of his bid.

Pakistan, once a staunch supporter of the Taliban, joined
hands with the U.S. war on terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks
in the U.S. by Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda terrorists. As a
result, Pakistan received full support from the U.S. and its
allies in ARF and also earned non-NATO ally status from
Washington.

"This (ARF entry) is yet another success for Pakistan's
foreign policy and comes close on the heels of EU's decision to
ratify the Third Government Agreement, thereby raising the level
of Pakistan's political and economic interaction with the
European Union as well as notification of Pakistan as a major
non-NATO ally (by the U.S.)," Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid
Mehmood Kasuri told the Dawn last month.