Zardari slams West over Islamophobia

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said Islamophobia in the western countries is leading to injustices against the Muslims World.

“Hatred of Islam also leads to injustices against Muslims. Indeed the imaginary fear of Islam has been rising. This is exactly what the terrorists had hoped to provoke. Those in the West that accept this are falling into the trap of the terrorists" Zardari said while addressing the special session of the United Nations Interfaith Dialogue in New York City late Thursday.

Zardari added that the imaginary fear had created a new form of discrimination and given rise to new tensions between the Muslims and the western countries. The President noted that unfortunately at a time when most Muslims are advocating interfaith dialogue, they also witness events that frustrate our call for dialogue. "We hear hate speeches across countries and regions in which Islam as a religion is attacked.

Zardari comments come as experts suspect Washington and its western allies to tarnish the Islamic countries' image and spread Islamophobia against the Muslim minorities in the Western World.

The president remarks come amid growing tensions between Islamabad and Washington over US missile strikes on suspected militants in Pakistan's northwest tribal region along Pakistan and Afghanistan border. The US, already engaged in two deadly and costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has long claimed to be seeking out terrorists in the region.

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Leaders may be losing ground at home

Pakistan Economy Watch has said that government should stop counter productive foreign trips and princely expenditures as it is losing confidence of masses and tarnishing its own image. A number of foreign trips of top leaders with hundreds of members of entourage is costing public exchequer heavily. What Pakistan is getting in return is sweet words and promises only. Leaders seem loosing ground back home.

Besides global economic turmoil, political uncertainty at home and our track record of massive economic mismanagement, there is something very wrong which is forcing friends to turn their backs on our repeated requests, said President Pakistan Economy Watch Dr Murtaza Mughal.

Government is avoiding revolutionary measures to avoid default and relying on IMF, which has not contributed towards development of any country since its inception.Around 70 percent of total loan acquired so far by Pakistan is believed to channeled back to Dubai, Malaysia and US banks via pockets of politicians and important bureaucrats, it is believed. However, masses are always asked for sacrifices that have never benefited from these borrowings.

Government should avoid princely expenditures otherwise our delegations may not be welcomed anywhere in future, said Dr Mughal. staff report