RI, Pakistan to unity against terrorism, drugs

RI, Pakistan to unity against terrorism, drugs

Bronwyn Curran, Agecence France-Presse, slamabad

Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri heads to Pakistan
this weekend for a visit which will see the world's two largest
Muslim nations, both battling Islamic extremism, forge pacts to
fight terrorism and drug-trafficking and to foster industrial
cooperation.

Megawati arrives on Sunday for the first visit by an
Indonesian leader to the 56-year old Islamic republic in three
years.

Her predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid visited in June 2000, three
months after Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf visited
Indonesia fresh from seizing power in the October 1999 coup.

She will hold talks with Gen. Musharraf on arrival and later
meet Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, officials said.

"Consultations are under way for MOUs (memorandums of
understanding) on counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics,"
foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan told AFP.

A joint ministerial commission on bilateral relations is also
likely to be signed, Khan said.

The agenda of talks was "free-flowing" covering bilateral
relations, Pakistan's ties with the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), and regional and international issues.

"These include the situation in South Asia, Afghanistan and
Iraq. They will discuss and review the situation in Iraq," Khan
said.

Pakistan, which like Indonesia opposed the war in Iraq, is
under pressure from the U.S. to contribute troops to a Muslim
peacekeeping force in Iraq.

High on Islamabad's agenda is convincing Indonesia to help
raise its profile in ASEAN.

"Indonesia is a very active member of ASEAN. Pakistan is a
sectoral dialog partner of ASEAN, we want this relationship to be
upgraded to full dialog partnership," Khan said.

Embarking on joint industrial projects was also a key
priority.

"The driving force between Indonesia and Pakistan is economic.
We're trying to expand economic and commercial relations. We are
also exploring the possibility of some joint industrial
ventures," Khan said.

"We've had industrial cooperation in the past. Those efforts
need to be upgraded, we want to take this relationship to a
higher plane."

On Megawati's schedule is a visit to an industrial site in
Taxila, an ancient town surrounded by light industry 20
kilometers (12.4 miles) west of Islamabad.

Pakistan and Indonesia, both former European colonies,
represent some 340 million Muslims between them from a combined
population of 370 million.

Analysts said Megawati's visit was significant in several
dimensions: in terms of Musharraf's campaign for moderate Islam,
Megawati's bid to retain the presidency in 2004 polls, and the
fight against terrorism.

"One important thing is the fact that the two governments are
collaborating over the issue of terrorism," political commentator
Nasim Zehra said.

Pakistan held in custody for three months six Indonesian
terror suspects linked to the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) al-Qaeda-
linked terrorist network, only deporting them three days ahead of
Megawati's arrival.

Described by Pakistani investigators as a "JI sleeper cell,"
the six were arrested from an Islamic school in Karachi. Top JI
terror suspect Hambali's brother Rusman Gunawan (also known as
Gun Gun) was among them.

Zehra also pointed to Musharraf's campaign to reform the OIC.

"President Musharraf has taken the initiative in the
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) talking about reform of
the organization, and Megawati represents a major Muslim country
and she has very actively supported Musharraf's call for reform
within the OIC."

Megawati's visit to Pakistan could also be connected to
efforts to win support from Islamic quarters at home in next
year's elections, Zehra said.

"In some ways I guess this is establishing her stature in the
Muslim world within her Muslim constituency."

Megawati and Musharraf have met twice this year, on the
sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement and OIC summits in Kuala
Lumpur.

"The two enjoy a close rapport," Zehra said.

Megawati can expect a warm welcome in Pakistan, where her late
father, Indonesia's founding president Sukarno, is warmly
remembered.

"Mrs. Soekarnoputri is respected here partially because of her
father, who in the late 1950s and 1960s supported Pakistan on all
issues, so he's a revered figure here," Khan said.