ISLAMABAD: At a seminar on Friday, the adviser to the prime minister on foreign affairs differentiated between `soft` and `hard` power. He said power is often only thought of as `hard power` and the concept has become devastating because everyone wants to use power to address various matters, which has resulted in an increase in terrorism.

He was speaking at a seminar titled `Pakistan`s Soft Power` held by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).

The division of power into two kinds: `hard power` and `soft power` was put forward by American political scientist Joseph Nye. `Hard power` is used to describe military and economic might, while `soft` power is the ability to co-opt or attract others without coercion or exercising hard power.

Mr Aziz said `soft power` is the ability to convince people, and has traditionally used alongside `hard power`, but that things are now changing.

`The time has come to use soft power to address issues,` he said.

`However still to some extent, hard power is required to survive.

We have to maintain the balancebetween hard and soft power.

He said Pakistani democracy is developing stronger roots, and because of this the country`s `soft image` is improving.

`Moreover, the foreign office from time to time arranges music, food and cultural festivals and truck art in different countries to project a soft image of the country,` he added.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said the use of power and muscle had not given much to the world, and that misery and problems were the outcome.

He added: `The world has not seen the real picture of Pakistan because we have not presented it.

Those who come to Pakistan say that they have never imagined that Pakistan is so peaceful. We have to convey that message to the international community. Education is the way forward, because it is a knowledge economy.

He also said that Pakistan`s youth has strong potential. `We should prepare our youth to be good citizens not only for Pakistan but also for the rest of the world, so that they would run industries and economies of developed countries as there will be less youth in the developed countries in the future, he said.