
Int'l moot discusses counterterrorism measures
It was addressed by former foreign minister and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who offered an olive branch to India, calling upon it to exhibit sagacity and talk it out with Pakistan.
He said that Pakistan has come a long way, and has defeated terrorism at home, apart from being a genuine and instrumental partner in fighting the war on terrorism in the region. He said that with more than 90,000 civil and military casualties in the last two decades, and a collateral economic damage of more than $100 billion, it's time for the world to recognise Pakistan's sacrifices, and not to shun its utility.
The conference was opened by President IPRI Lt General (retd) Majid Ehsan who outlined the need and necessity of flagging Pakistan's meticulous role in fighting terrorism, and outlined the way to go by working on a host of realms that come to integrate policymakers and those fighting this faceless war for a comprehensive success.
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