AA: What will be your priorities as High Commissioner for Pakistan?
SH: Well, obviously the last time I was appointed High Commissioner, I was given the priority of developing trade with Britain and also to seek better ties with the (Pakistani) community and their involvement with the High Commission's affairs because they were not so welcomed in the past as one would like them to be. There is a big community, about a million people here, and they look forward to better communications with the High Commission and we have to improve a lot of facilities for visa problems and immigration problems. All those need to be looked into.

AA: What about trade?
SH: Britain has always been a major trade partner and in the special conditions we have got in Pakistan where we have power shortage… you remember when Ms Bhutto took over in 1993 her priority was to augment the power facilities in the country and she really added huge power voltages in megawatts rather… to Pakistan's capacity. That's how the investors' wheel kept on moving and there were no shortages, no load shedding as one witnesses now in Karachi and other places, especially in Karachi which is the financial centre. So we have got so many things to do. There is also this crisis of terrorism and we Pakistanis are always suspected whenever something happens. Unfortunately, some of the culprits who were arrested could be tracked down to Pakistan. So it is on the top of the agenda to dispel the fears in British society regarding Pakistanis. Among other things we would also like to improve cultural exchanges, we would like to involve more Pakistanis in the activities that the High Commission has to carry out here.

AA: Could you comment on your role in facilitating the re-entry of Pakistan in the Commonwealth?
SH: Well I recently had a meeting with some of the officials in the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr Mathews and Pavan Kapur the Secretary General was not here and we discussed the re-entry, or rather the ending of suspension of Pakistan, and they were very positive. A ministerial commission is going to Pakistan the Commonwealth Ministers Action Group and I am sure it will be no problem for us coming back into the Commonwealth and taking our due place and playing a positive role..

AA: When do you anticipate that happening?
SH: I think that should happen in May, perhaps the end of May or early June.

AA: For the benefit of our readers, could you give us an update on the investigation into Ms Bhutto's assassination ?
SH: Well you must understand that investigations in such matters when evidence was destroyed totally in both places in Rawalpindi and Karachi (Where the first bomb blast took place), it is like searching for a black cat in a dark room. However we want to provide such circumstantial evidence to the investigators you know the way she was obstructed from coming back. Every time she planned to come back, the message she received from Pakistan was, 'Don't come back' and to the extent that she was not supposed to come back before the elections. But she had a commitment t the people of Pakistan. Despite the fact that she knew there were threats friendly countries had informed her, friendly rulers had informed her and even Pakistani authorities had informed her.
But you must remember that probably on the 15th October before she left for Pakistan, she received a letter from a major intelligence agency in Pakistan telling her that there were some people who would like to kill her. In return she had informed the president that, 'yes, thank you for all this information, but I know some of the people in the government are plotting to assassinate me'. And she had named those people. So we have all these things put together and hopefully if the United Nations takes the issue of investigation, it will at least identify the people who are involved or the circumstances that led to the assassination.

AA: Has the United Nations agreed to undertake an investigation?
SH: We don't know but we are going to approach the UN. The National Assembly has passed a unanimous resolution for the investigation. But it is said that the United Nations look into the matter if another country is involved. But we feel that since Al Qa'eda was alleged to be involved in it, Al Qa'eda operates from Afghanistan, Iraq and so many other countries, it can be tackled by the United Nations. So we inshallah, hopefully look forward to it and we think the United Nations will concede to our request.

AA: Are we talking about the Secretary General's office ?
SH: They will appoint an international investigators team and they will come down to Pakistan and look into the circumstances in which she was assassinated. Of course it will be from the Secretary General's office.

AA: In one of her last interviews Ms Bhutto spoke of how she as Prime Minister did everything she could to end the activities of Sikh militants based in Pakistan. As far as bilaterals are concerned, where does the new government stand on these two contentious issues of Sikh militants and Kashmir?
SH: We would like to have peace with India and settle our core issue of Kashmir. We would also like to have enough confidence building measures between the two countries so that a proper atmosphere is created for taking things further and that includes terrorism activities on either side of the wall and we are against terrorism and we will not encourage terrorism anywhere. So that is the clear policy of this government, as it was in Ms Bhutto's government. She improved relations when Rajiv Gandhi was PM, we signed many agreements that went into action, we also signed the agreement not to attack each other's nuclear facilities and tourism and all these things were improved. So we had a good track record where India is concerned when Ms Bhutto was in power. I expect much more improvement.
AA: Is it true that Sikh militants are trying to rebuild their bases in Pakistan?
SH: I don't think so. I thought Sikh militancy had died down and Pakistan would not be a party to anything of this sort in any case.

AA: In the past you had some fairly harsh things to say about Pervez Musharraf. Now you are going to be Pakistan's High Commissioner in London. Do you still hold to your earlier views about President Musharraf?
SH: Those views were from an opposition point of view. Now we have accepted him as the president of the country. So as high Commissioner he is the president and I cannot deny that and one has to carry on the parameters provided when you are in such a situation. But as far as his politics are concerned, we were opposed to dictatorship and we are still opposed to dictatorship. We were all for the restoration of the judiciary and we are sticking to it and hopefully we will carry out our commitment to the people that they are restored. So some of these issues are there, which will definitely create problems for us as well as other parties. They will have to be sorted by the government in Islamabad and the leadership that we have, coalition parties, the prime minister himself and Mr Zardari who is recognised as a reconciliator who wants to bury the past and build a future on sound lines of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. With all these things put together, we have a new atmosphere in the country. And, hopefully, we will try to create conditions in which democracy prospers and we can do much for the people of Pakistan who re concerned about higher prices and a difficult law and order situation.

AA: Will the president see out his term and will Mr Zardari be prime minister in the years to come?
SH: I don't think Mr Zardari is inclined to become prime minister at this stage, but our party is the biggest party in the country and if the party decides to change the prime minister that's up to it. But again it will not be so soon as people are conjecturing. As far as the president is concerned, it is parliament that will decide. Mr Zardari has repeatedly been saying that it is the parliament that will decide the fate of the president.

AA: Were you surprised when you were asked to take up again the job of High Commissioner to the UK and who called you?
SH: I tell you l was not surprised because when Ms Bhutto was alive, she always wanted me to stay in London. In fact just two days before her departure via Dubai to Pakistan, I was about to ask why she hasn't asked me to accompany her. She read my mind and said, I know what you want to ask me, but l want you to stay here. I don't know what is going to happen to me in Pakistan. So I want you to stay here, hold the fort and serve the country. She always wanted me to remain here. So l think Mr Zardari has fulfilled her desire. The prime minister too is a devoted party man and he has probably carried out her wishes.

AA: Who telephoned you first about your appointment?
SH: Mr Zardari as well as the prime minister who has been very kind, but it was Mr Zardari I talked to first. He asked me to come over to Pakistan and sort out everything.