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.