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ased on shared experiences, Indonesia and Pakistan are now joining efforts to minimize the threat of terror groups in the region, according to a top Pakistani diplomat.

Pakistani Ambassador to Indonesia Sanaullah said on Tuesday that Jakarta and Islamabad were exchanging information and would create a hotline to detect possible terror attacks as early as possible and to share expertise in rooting out terrorism.

“We hope we can minimize terrorist threats if not eradicate them,” Sanaullah said in an interview at the Pakistani embassy in Jakarta.

Earlier this month, a Pakistani delegation comprised of counterterrorism experts and officials met their Indonesia counterparts to share expertise in curbing terrorism.

Sanaullah said Pakistan had fought a long struggle to eliminate the menace of terrorism.

“We have achieved results, but this was an ongoing effort and the problem cannot be resolved in days. Pakistan has suffered over 35,000 casualties and lost billions of dollars due to this war. But Pakistanis have withstood the challenge with courage,” he said.

Sanaullah said coercion or force alone would not resolve the problem of terrorism.

“There must be dialogue and development along with deterrence if one wants lasting and enduring results.”

He said that Pakistan and Indonesia’s cordial relations, cultural affinities and shared religion had not been reflected in economic cooperation, especially in bilateral trade.

After peaking at a billion dollars in 2008, bilateral trade has declined due to delays in finalizing a preferential trade agreement (PTA) that would decrease tariffs on a broad spectrum of products, Sanaullah said.

“We have resolved most of the contentious issues — however some are still being negotiated,” he said.

Sanaullah said Pakistani oranges (kino) were one product that had become a stumbling block in negotiations.

“The argument on the Indonesian side is that a tariff decrease for our oranges will ruin [the price of] local oranges, such as Medan oranges. But Indonesian oranges have done well even after the entrance of Chinese oranges, which received zero tariffs from Indonesian government.”

“There is no reason to believe that decreasing tariffs for our kinow will disrupt local oranges,” he said.

Sanaullah said a recent visit by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to Indonesia to meet with his counterpart, Marty Natalegawa, would have a conducive effect on the process, expressing hope that the stalled PTA would be inked in the first quarter of 2011.

“This would help in raising bilateral trade to around $2 billion within two years of its coming into force,” he said.