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After an introduction by Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass, Prime Minister Gilani outlined his hopes for a strong, democratic Pakistan that would stand as a leader in a newly peaceful and prosperous South Asia. However, he also acknowledged the existence of challenges to this vision, such as terrorism and instability.

Indicating that terrorism is an important world issue and that only a united effort will defeat the extremism and fanaticism that are at its root, the Prime Minister went on to say, “The reality of suicide bombings has struck my homeland …We have been a painful victim of terrorism, extremism, and fanaticism.” He added that many terrorist groups have distorted the true ethos of Islam and have justified the use of violence for political gain through their altered version of Islam, and it is imperative that those opposed to terrorism confront the motivations of terrorists so that their numbers will dwindle and the fighting will stop.

In order to fight extremism, Prime Minister Gilani advocated strengthening civil society and democratic institutions. After the talk, there were questions about the capability and willingness of the government to address Pakistan’s problems, one of the foremost of those being instability. He asserted that the current Pakistani government is confident it can use its mandate from the electorate to practice good governance, control the security apparatus, and guide Pakistan towards becoming a better democracy. The fight against extremism and the pursuit of regional stability will be aided by the growth of these democratic fundamentals.

The Prime Minister also criticized Pakistan’s Western allies. He pointed to the abandonment of Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal as a short-sighted decision. The lack of a Western-led nation-building effort created a power vacuum in that country, which the Taliban filled along with their terrorist allies. In order to achieve many shared security goals, it is essential that there be a great deal of cooperation between Western powers and Pakistan.

In addition to cooperation on security issues, Prime Minister Gilani stated that Pakistan needs a multi-pronged approach to fighting terrorism that focuses on the root causes of terrorism. Giving people a stake in their own economic future and demanding that the protection of human rights is more than just rhetoric will “…set Pakistan on the right path, acting as a stabilizing factor for the region.” In order to accomplish this, international actors, especially the United States, must take a strong role in supporting democracies, and not dictators as they have done in the past.

The Biden-Lugar proposal in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was cited by the Prime Minister as a good vehicle to bring the prosperity that is linked to peace in Pakistan. A commitment on the same scale as the Marshall Plan might be necessary to save Pakistan. Either way, Prime Minister Gilani assured the audience that Pakistan is “back in business” economically. Once listed as one of the world’s top ten emerging economies by the World Bank, Pakistan will soon have an equally bright future.

There are many signs that Pakistan is on the road to recovery if it can build on the foundations of peace, stability, and sustained growth. The Prime Minister ended his speech with the statement, “This is the Pakistan for which Shaheed [martyr] Benazir Bhutto gave her life. This is the Pakistan for which we must live.”