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India is modern, admits top Pak envoy to US
23 May, 2007 l 1833 hrs ISTlPTI
WASHINGTON: The top Pakistani envoy in the United States has praised India as a role model in economic development and democracy, hoping that someday Pakistan will be able to match its neighbour on these attributes.
"Is India modern in a way? Yes. Even in Pakistan, they make these comparisons. They say India is a role model in many ways. In democracy, it's a role model. In economic development, it is a role model. As a secular state, it has fallen off and is not a role model. But we hope that some day Pakistan will beat them in both of these things," said Mahmud Ali Durrani.
"Our political leadership was not as well developed. They had the good fortune of having a narrow family leadership guiding that country for 30 years. We had nothing," the top Pakistani diplomat lamented.
"If we had that kind of leadership, we would have been the same because we are very similar people. These two fatal flaws brought us down," Durrani said.
In an interview with USA Today , Durrani said Islamabad was trying to live down in the aftermath of the revelation of disgraced Khan network's transactions.
He said there has been no "direct" interrogation of Khan by Washington.
"No direct, no direct (interrogation) because (Khan) is, unfortunately, a national hero. Otherwise, we would have strung him from the tallest tree," the Pakistani ambassador said.
The diplomat argued that there has been a "very fundamental effect" of nuclear weapons on both India and Pakistan.
"There is almost zero possibility for war between Pakistan and India. The major overtures toward peace between Pakistan and India are because of nuclear weapons. Leadership in both countries have realized that if we go to war that is going to destroy us," Durrani said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...s_top_Pak_envoy_to_US/articleshow/2069706.cms
23 May, 2007 l 1833 hrs ISTlPTI
WASHINGTON: The top Pakistani envoy in the United States has praised India as a role model in economic development and democracy, hoping that someday Pakistan will be able to match its neighbour on these attributes.
"Is India modern in a way? Yes. Even in Pakistan, they make these comparisons. They say India is a role model in many ways. In democracy, it's a role model. In economic development, it is a role model. As a secular state, it has fallen off and is not a role model. But we hope that some day Pakistan will beat them in both of these things," said Mahmud Ali Durrani.
"Our political leadership was not as well developed. They had the good fortune of having a narrow family leadership guiding that country for 30 years. We had nothing," the top Pakistani diplomat lamented.
"If we had that kind of leadership, we would have been the same because we are very similar people. These two fatal flaws brought us down," Durrani said.
In an interview with USA Today , Durrani said Islamabad was trying to live down in the aftermath of the revelation of disgraced Khan network's transactions.
He said there has been no "direct" interrogation of Khan by Washington.
"No direct, no direct (interrogation) because (Khan) is, unfortunately, a national hero. Otherwise, we would have strung him from the tallest tree," the Pakistani ambassador said.
The diplomat argued that there has been a "very fundamental effect" of nuclear weapons on both India and Pakistan.
"There is almost zero possibility for war between Pakistan and India. The major overtures toward peace between Pakistan and India are because of nuclear weapons. Leadership in both countries have realized that if we go to war that is going to destroy us," Durrani said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...s_top_Pak_envoy_to_US/articleshow/2069706.cms
