PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER KHURSHID MAHMOOD KASURI SAID THE JUST-CONCLUDED 19TH ARAB SUMMIT IN RIYADH HAS BOOSTED PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF OF PAKISTAN'S NEW INITIATIVE TO RESOLVE THE PALESTINIAN ISSUE AND BRING ABOUT PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE REGION. IN A STATEMENT TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OF PAKISTAN, KASURI SAID PAKISTAN'S PRESIDENT WAS THE FIRST EVER NON-ARAB LEADER TO ADDRESS AN ARAB SUMMIT TO HIGHLIGHT HIS FRESH INITIATIVE ON THE PALESTINE ISSUE. HE ADDED THAT ARAB LEADERS HAVE DISCUSSED PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF PROPOSALS SERIOUSLY, NOTING THAT MUSHARRAF SPEECH BEFORE THE SUMMIT HAS UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERTING COLLECTIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE ALONG ISRAEL. MUSHARRAF HAS ATTENDED RIYADH SUMMIT AS SPECIAL GUEST OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ. KASURI SAID PAKISTAN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE ARAB LEAGUE'S SUMMIT CLEARLY INDICATED THAT "WE BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUES OF THE ARAB WORLD DEEPLY IMPACT ON THE ENTIRE MUSLIM UMMAH."
