Pakistan can be ‘role model’ for Muslim world

“Pakistan has transferred towards democracy,” Qureshi said. “And today I represent a democratically elected government of Pakistan.”

“Pakistan can be a role model of the Muslim world,” he told reporters ahead of the meeting that aims to raise four to six billion dollars for the poverty-stricken country.

On Indo-Pak ties,he said: “Our movements towards normalisation (of ties with India) was very good. Unfortunately the Mumbai incident did create a setback.”

“But I must share with you that there is a large constituency of Pakistan that feels that it is Pakistan’s interest to have a normal,good,neighbouring relationship with India,” he said.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Tokyo Wednesday evening to attend the conference,which US envoy Richard Holbrooke and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki are also due to join.

Qureshi said Pakistan has “a functioning democracy” with an elected president,national and district parliaments and its first woman speaker in the national assembly.

What Pakistan seeks from the Friday meeting is “an expression of political support of Pakistan’s solidarity,Pakistan’s role… as a frontline state fighting extremism and terrorism,” Qureshi said.

Washington has put Pakistan at the heart of the fight against Al-Qaeda and US President Barack Obama has unveiled a sweeping new strategy to turn around the Afghan war and defeat Islamist militants on both sides of the border.

On Iran and Afghanistan,Qureshi said he had invited senior officials from both countries to come to Islamabad to discuss Afghan refugees and efforts to fight the narcotics trade and terrorism.

“Because when we talk about a regional approach to deal with terrorism and extremism,Iran is an important player in the region,” he said.

The Japanese government said that Prime Minister Taro Aso will meet Zardari and Iran’s Mottaki separately on Thursday.