ISLAMABAD: President of Indonesia Joko Widodo Friday said that conflicts and wars would benefit no one as people become its major victims and called for unity to maintain peace and stability in the region.
"Conflicts and wars will benefit no one. I repeat, conflicts and wars will benefit no one. The people, mainly women and children, always become the most impacted ones in conflicts and wars," President Widodo said addressing the joint sitting of the parliament here on Friday.
He said that besides impacting the people, the conflicts and wars also destroyed the values of humanity.
Widodo, who started his speech with slogan of 'Pakistan Zindabad (Long Live Pakistan)', also strongly advocated for democracy believing that "Democracy is the best way serving our peoples’ interests. Democracy provides the space for the people in decision-making process."
President Widodo said in 1963, President Soekarno ignited the spirit to fight against colonialism as well as the spirit of cooperation between newly-independent countries.
"Fifty five years later, the President of the Republic of Indonesia is honoured once again to speak before the Parliament of Pakistan," he said.
"I would like to use this opportunity to ignite cooperation for the world’s peace and prosperity."
He said the friendship between Indonesia and Pakistan was not a newly-forged friendship as his country would always remember the support of the people of Pakistan towards Indonesia's struggles for independence.
The Indonesian president told the joint sitting that as a token of appreciation, on August 17, 1995, coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence, Indonesia had conferred First Class Adipurna Star to Pakistan's Father of the Nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah for his contributions in supporting Indonesia’s independence.
Widodo said besides having decades old friendship, the two countries had much in common with both being the biggest Muslim populations, members of D-8, OIC, Non-Aligned Movement, the initiators of Asia-Africa Conference and "most importantly, we are both democratic countries."
Speaking about Palestine, he said that both Pakistan and Indonesia consistently supported the independence of Palestine. "At this forum, I would like to call once again for us to continue supporting our brothers and sisters in Palestine. Let us continue supporting Palestine in their struggles."
He said just like Pakistan, apart from being home to Muslims, Indonesia was also home to Hindus, Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists as well as the others making it a pluralistic country.
Widodo said that Indonesia has been able to preserve its unity despite being very plural with a large population and more than 17,000 islands and with 1,340 ethnicities.
He said the Indonesian people lived their lives as a nation in a democratic manner, adding that most people understand that managing diversity was not an easy thing, nor managing democracy.
"What we need is commitment…commitment to tolerate in order to maintain plurality; commitment for mutual respects so that democracy could function well," he remarked.
President Widodo is on his first visit to Pakistan along with a delegation comprising ministers and the businessmen.
The session was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and attended by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, three services chiefs, besides the parliamentarians.
President Widodo is the second president of Indonesia to address the joint sitting as first Indonesian president Dr Ahmed Soekarno had addressed the National Assembly of Pakistan on June 26, 1963. He is the 17th foreign dignitary to address the joint parliamentary session.
The others who addressed the sitting included leaders from Iran, Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Palestine, France, China, Britain, Turkey.