    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [March 25, 2000]
    [Pages 537-539]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Television Address to the People of Pakistan From Islamabad, Pakistan
    March 25, 2000

        As-salaam aleikum. It is an honor to be the first President of the
    United States to address all the people of Pakistan, and the first to
    visit your country in more than 30 years. I'm here as a great admirer of
    your land's rich history, of its centuries of civilization that stretch
    as long as the Indus River. I'm here as one whose own Nation has been
    greatly enriched by the talents of Americans of Pakistani descent. But
    most of all, I am here as a friend, a grateful friend who values our
    long partnership, a concerned friend who cares deeply about the future
    course of your country, a committed friend who will stand with the
    people of Pakistan as long as you seek the stable, prosperous,
    democratic nation of your founders' dreams.
        More than half a century ago, Mohammed Ali Jinnah shared that vision
    as he addressed Pakistan's Constituent Assembly. ``If you work
    together,'' he said, ``in a spirit that every one of you is first,
    second, and last a citizen, with equal rights, privileges, and
    obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make.'' The
    Quaid-e Azam ended that speech by reading a telegram he had just
    received. The message expressed hope for success in the great work you
    were about to undertake. That message was from the people of the United
    States.
        Despite setbacks and suffering, the people of Pakistan have built
    this nation from the ground up, on a foundation of democracy and law.
    And for more than 50 years now, we have been partners with you. Pakistan
    helped the United States open a dialog with China. We stood together
    when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Our partnership helped to end
    the cold war. And in the years since, we have cooperated in the fight
    against terrorism. Our soldiers have stood together in missions of peace
    in every part of the world. This is your proud legacy, our proud legacy.
        Now we are in the dawn of a new century, and a new and changing
    world has come into view. All around the globe a revolution is taking
    hold, a revolution that is tearing down barriers and building up
    networks among nations and individuals. For millions it has made real
    the dream of a better life with good schools, good jobs, a good future
    for their children.
        Like all key moments in human history, this one poses some hard
    choices, for this era does not reward people who struggle in vain to
    redraw borders with blood. It belongs to those with the vision to look
    beyond borders for partners in commerce and trade. It does not favor
    nations where governments claim all the power to solve every problem.
    Instead, it favors nations where the people have the freedom and
    responsibility to shape their own destinies.
        Pakistan can achieve great things in this new world, but real
    obstacles stand in the way. The political situation, the economic
    situation, the tensions in this region, they are holding Pakistan back
    from achieving its full potential in the global economy.
        I know I don't have to tell you all this. This is something you
    know, something you have seen. But I do have hope. I believe Pakistan
    can make its way through the troubles and build a future worthy of the
    visions of its founders: a stable, prosperous, democratic Pakistan,
    secure in its borders, friendly with its neighbors, confident in its
    future; a Pakistan, as Jinnah said, ``at peace within and at peace
    without.''
        What is in the way of that vision? Well, clearly, the absence of
    democracy makes it harder, not easier, for people to move ahead. I know
    democracy isn't easy; it's certainly not perfect. The authors of my own
    country's Constitution knew that as well. They said that the mission of
    the United States would always be, and I quote, ``to form a more perfect
    Union.'' In other words, they knew we would never fully realize our
    ideals, but that we could keep moving closer to them. That means the
    question for free people is always how to keep moving forward.

    [[Page 538]]

        We share your disappointment that previous democratic governments in
    Pakistan did not do better for their citizens. But one thing is certain:
    Democracy cannot develop if it is constantly uprooted before it has a
    chance to firmly take hold. Successful democratic government takes time
    and patience and hard work. The answer to flawed democracy is not to end
    democracy but to improve it.
        I know General Musharraf has just
    announced a date for local elections. That is a good step. But the
    return of civilian democratic rule requires a complete plan, a real
    roadmap.
        Of course, no one from the outside can tell Pakistan how it should
    be governed. That is for you, the people of Pakistan, to decide, and you
    should be given the opportunity to do so. I hope and believe you want
    Pakistan to be a country where the rule of law prevails; a country where
    officials are accountable; a country where people can express their
    points of view without fear; a country that wisely forsakes revenge for
    the wounds of the past, and instead pursues reconciliation for the sake
    of the future. If you choose this path, your friends in the United
    States will stand with you.
        There are obstacles to your progress, including violence and
    extremism. We Americans also have felt these evils. Surely we have both
    suffered enough to know that no grievance, no cause, no system of
    beliefs can ever justify the deliberate killing of innocents. Those who
    bomb bus stations, target Embassies, or kill those who uphold the law
    are not heroes. They are our common enemies, for their aim is to exploit
    painful problems, not to resolve them.
        Just as we have fought together to defeat those who traffic in
    narcotics, today I ask Pakistan to intensify its efforts to defeat those
    who inflict terror.
        Another obstacle to Pakistan's progress is the tragic squandering of
    effort, energy, and wealth on policies that make your nation poorer, but
    not safer. That is one reason we must try to resolve the differences
    between our two nations on nuclear weapons.
        Again, you must make the decision. But my questions to you are no
    different from those I posed in India. Are you really more secure today
    than you were before you tested nuclear weapons? Will these weapons make
    war with India less likely or simply more deadly? Will a costly arms
    race help you to achieve any economic development? Will it bring you
    closer to your friends around the world, closer to the partnerships you
    need to build your dreams?
        Today, the United States is dramatically cutting its nuclear
    arsenal. Around the world nations are renouncing these weapons. I ask
    Pakistan also to be a leader for nonproliferation. In your own self-
    interest, to help us to prevent dangerous technologies from spreading to
    those who might have no reservations at all about using them, take the
    right steps now to prevent escalation, to avoid miscalculation, to
    reduce the risk of war.
        As leaders in your own country have suggested, one way to strengthen
    your security would be to join the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The
    whole world will rally around you if you do.
        I believe it is also in Pakistan's interest to reduce tensions with
    India. When I was in New Delhi, I urged India to seize the opportunity
    for dialog. Pakistan also must help create conditions that will allow
    dialog to succeed. For India and Pakistan this must be a time of
    restraint, for respect for the Line of Control, and renewed lines of
    communication.
        I have listened carefully to General Musharraf and others. I understand your concerns about Kashmir.
    I share your convictions that human rights of all its people must be
    respected. But a stark truth must also be faced. There is no military
    solution to Kashmir. International sympathy, support, and intervention
    cannot be won by provoking a bigger, bloodier conflict. On the contrary,
    sympathy and support will be lost. And no matter how great the
    grievance, it is wrong to support attacks against civilians across the
    Line of Control.
        In the meantime, I ask again: Will endless, costly struggle build
    good schools for your children? Will it make your cities safer? Will it
    bring clean water and better health care? Will it narrow the gaps
    between those who have and those who have nothing? Will it hasten the
    day when Pakistan's energy and wealth are invested in building its
    future? The answer to all these questions is plainly no.
        The American people don't want to see tensions rise and suffering
    increase. We want to be a force for peace. But we cannot force peace. We
    can't impose it. We cannot and will not mediate or resolve the dispute
    in Kashmir. Only you and India can do that, through dialog.
        Last year the world watched with hope as the leaders of India and
    Pakistan met in Lahore

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    on the road to better relations. This is the right road to peace for
    Pakistan and India, and for the resolution of the problems in Kashmir.
    Therefore, I will do all I can to help both sides restore the promise
    and the process of Lahore.
        A few months ago we had a ceremony at the White House to mark the
    end of Ramadan. An imam shared a message from the Koran which tells us
    that God created nations and tribes that we might know one another, not
    that we may despise one another. During the years of my Presidency, I
    have tried to know the Muslim world as part of our common humanity. I
    have stood with the people of Bosnia and Kosovo, who were brutalized
    because of their Muslim faith. I have mourned with Jordanians and
    Moroccans at the loss of their brave leaders. I have been privileged to
    speak with Palestinians at their National Council in Gaza. Today I am
    proud to speak with you because I value our long friendship, and because
    I believe our friendship can still be a force for tolerance and
    understanding throughout the world. I hope you will be able to meet the
    difficult challenges we have discussed today.
        If you do not, there is a danger that Pakistan may grow even more
    isolated, draining even more resources away from the needs of the
    people, moving even closer to a conflict no one can win. But if you do
    meet these challenges, our full economic and political partnership can
    be restored for the benefit of the people of Pakistan.
        So let us draw strength from the words of the great Pakistani poet
    Muhammad Iqbal, who said, ``In the midst of today's upheaval, give us a
    vision of tomorrow.'' If the people of Pakistan and South Asia are
    driven by a tolerant, generous vision of tomorrow, your nation and this
    entire region can be the great success story of the world's next 50
    years.
        It is all in your hands. I know enough about the ingenuity and
    enterprise and heart of Pakistani people to know that this is possible.
    With the right vision, rooted in tomorrow's promise, not yesterday's
    pain, rooted in dialog, not destruction, Pakistan can fulfill its
    destiny as a beacon of democracy in the Moslem world, an engine of
    growth, a model of tolerance, an anchor of stability. Pakistan can have
    a future worthy of the dreams of the Quaid-e Azam.
        If you choose that future, the United States will walk with you. I
    hope you will make that choice. And I pray for our continued friendship,
    for peace, for Pakistan. Zindabad.

     Note: The President spoke at 4:20 p.m. from the Presidential Palace. In
    his remarks, he referred to Gen. Pervez Musharraf, army chief of staff,
    who led a coup d'etat in Pakistan on October 12, 1999.