Anti-US protests: Pakistan condemns 'anti-Islam' movie

Islamabad: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday condemned the anti-Islam film produced by an American, and expressed grave concern over the violence it has triggered in many countries.

Zardari told visiting US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Marc Grossman that rationality and tolerance was fast eroding, and stressed the need for collective action to stop inflaming religious sentiments of any community or people of any faith, Xinhua quoted presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar as saying.

Washington has denied any involvement but the movie has sparked anti-US demonstrations across the Muslim world.

Zardari told visiting US Envoy Marc Grossman that rationality and tolerance were fast eroding, and stressed the need for collective action to stop inflaming religious sentiments of any community.

Senator Babar, briefing reporters on the meeting, said the meeting agenda included Pakistan-US bilateral relations, the fight against militancy, the regional situation, drug trafficking and drone attacks.

He said the president reiterated his call for an end to the US drone attacks, terming them counterproductive in the fight against militancy.

Zardari said it was important for the two countries to work for greater engagements in all fields and to revive mutual confidence to move forward in pursuit of common interests as well as peace and stability in the region.

The president expressed hope that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar's forthcoming visit to Washington would help jump-start the bilateral strategic dialogue.

On Afghanistan, Zardari said the peace and stability of Pakistan depended on peace and stability of Afghanistan, and that Pakistan would continue to join the international community in looking for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process in the neighbouring country.

He said the two countries shared a common objective to defeat the al Qaeda, and that it could be best achieved through coordinated actions across the border.

Zardari said Pakistan believed that drug trafficking provided financial backing to militants.

He said Pakistan would host a conference of the regional countries by the end of this year to formulate a common strategy in fighting drug production and narcotic trade in the region.

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