Musharraf’s
Three-Nation Tour to Expand Trade, Diplomatic Ties
 |
|
Bangladesh
Prime Minsiter Begum Khalida Zia welcomes General Musharraf at
Dhaka airport. |
By
Md Zeyaul Haque, Special to IslamOnline
NEW
DELHI, July 29 (IslamOnline)- Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf
began Monday, July 29, 2002, his historic three-day tour of Bangladesh
amid speculations about its import for long-term power equation in the
sub-continent. He would later go to Sri Lanka and China.
This
is the third official visit of a top Pakistani leader to Bangladesh
since its emergence in 1971. Two Pakistani prime ministers, Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, paid official visits to Dhaka, in 1974
and 1989 respectively.
General
Musharraf would move on to Sri Lanka for a day before flying off to
Beijing. By choosing to pay a high-profile visit to Bangladesh, where
the ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and the influential
Jamaat-e-Islami are preparing to accord him a warm welcome, President
Musharraf is entering in what is seen as India’s turf.
The
purpose of the visit is to demonstrate that in the current charged
atmosphere of the Subcontinent Pakistan too has friends in the region.
That
Sri Lanka is taking his visit seriously is borne out by the fact that
two senior Sri Lankan ministers visited Pakistan recently in
preparation for President Musharraf’s visit.
Irrespective
of the emotional response to the Bangladesh visit in the Subcontinent,
the Pakistani establishment is clear about its primary goals: it is
more about economic concerns than political and diplomatic interests.
Musharraf is accompanied by a 60-member entourage, including Minister
of State for Foreign Affairs Inamul Haq and Defense Secretary
Lieuteant General Hamid Nawaz.
President
Musharraf is scheduled to sign several memorandums of understanding
(MoUs) with Bangladesh to promote trade, the details of which have
already been sorted out by officials. Pakistan is trying to expand its
business ties in the region, taking advantage of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) regime.
At
present Pakistan enjoys a $63 million trade surplus with Bangladesh.
It exports $95 million worth in textiles, food and machinery to
Bangladesh, while importing goods worth $32 million.
Bangladesh,
which was East Pakistan till December 1971, broke away form Pakistan
following a civil war and violent repression by the Pakistan army. The
Bangladeshi opposition, which favors India, is busy organizing protest
against the Pakistani President’s visit.
The
main opposition (pro-India) Awami League party's student wing has
called a one-day strike Tuesday against the Pakistani leader, who it
says is "unwanted" in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh
would renew with the visiting dignitary its demand for $4.5 billion
assets left in Pakistan at the time of the country’s division,
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said in Dhaka
Friday, July 26.
Another
thorny issue likely to come up for discussion (but unlikely to be
resolved) is that of “Biharis”, estimated variously to be
250,000-400,000 in number languishing in relief camps in Bangladesh.
"Biharis" are the Urdu-speaking Muslim migrants to the
erstwhile East Pakistan from eastern parts of India, especially Bihar.
Biharis
fought on the Pakistani side in the civil war in 1971 and they claim
to be Pakistani citizens "stranded" in Bangladesh. They have
refused to take Bangladeshi citizenship and have been trying to move
to Pakistan for the last three decades. However, Pakistan has not been
able to take them in, although over the decades 140,000 Biharis from
Bangladesh have been resettled in Pakistan, some have sneaked into
Pakistan through India. Currently there is an estimated population of
about 250,000 Biharis in Bangladesh.
Yet
another issue that the pro-India opposition would like to raise with
President Musharraf is of “excesses” committed by the Pakistan
army during the civil war in what was East Pakistan, today’s
Bangladesh.
Many
Bagladeshis insist on getting a formal apology from Pakistan, which is
not particularly keen on offering it. Dhaka estimates that at least
three million people were killed and more than 250,000 women raped
during the civil war.
Of
the two largest political parties in Bangladesh, BNP and Awami League,
the former favors a special relationship with the Muslim Pakistan,
while the latter wants strong ties with India. Jamaat-e-Islami of
Bangladesh prefers Pakistan because of the shared faith in Islam.
On
a personal level, President Musharraf does not rhyme well with the
former prime minister, India-loving Hasina Wajed of Awami League who
is currently in the US. The Pakistani President is more comfortable
with present Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose husband Ziaur Rahman
was Musharraf’s fellow officer in Pakistan army, and like him became
President following a coup. He was assassinated in 1981 in another
coup.
In
Sri Lanka, President Musharraf would sign a free trade pact with that
country before moving on to China.
The
Chinese visit is to reassure that country about Pakistan’s firm ties
with it, despite a growing relationship with the United States.
|
