| Either another dose of warm milk or a declaration of independence. We'll see which. |
QUETTA: President Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday that Pakistan was not hostage to a bunch of terrorists and extremists who could dictate their âwills and ideasâ by their petty sabotage activities. Addressing trainee officers and faculty members of the Command and Staff College Quetta, Musharraf said Pakistan was on its way to stability and democratic norms were steadfastly gaining ground. He condemned and shunned terrorists and extremists, who were bent upon spoiling Pakistanâs image, and vowed to foil their nefarious designs. He called on Muslim states to shun such elements likewise for a better image of the Islamic world.He also talked about Pakistanâs economic growth, saying it indicated an increase in the annual GDP of 8 percent whereas foreign loans had been reduced from $50 billion to $35 billion. He said exports had registered a 100 percent growth, at about 17 billion. He said safe and drinkable water and electricity would be provided to every corner of Pakistan, a project that would be completed by 2007. Similarly, a strategy had been evolved to combat the growing menace of poverty and unemployment, he added.