Anti-terror cooperation with US to continue: Gilani
dailytimes.com.pkMonday, August 29, 2011
============================================* PM says ISI, CIA are working in close coordination in the region
* Government wants to ensure peace in Karachi but does not want to involve army in this matter
Staff Report
LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that Pakistan assisted the United States in the past and would continue to do so in the future, but the government would not compromise on the national interests.
Addressing a press conference along with Federal Minister for Information Firdaus Ashiq Awan at the State Guest House on Sunday, he said that the ISI and the CIA were working in close coordination with each other in the region.
“Both the countries are taking on high-valued targets jointly,” he said when asked if there were any implications for the government after reports of al Qaeda No 2 Abd al-Rahman’s death in Pakistan.
Gilani said, “We have explained to the US government that if it is answerable to Congress, then we are equally accountable to parliament.” He said that a possibility of the involvement of ‘foreign hands’ could not be ruled out in Karachi and Balochistan unrest, adding that the government would ensure peace in Karachi and did not want to involve army in the matter.
Acknowledging that the law and order situation across the country was poor, the PM held the Afghan war responsible for the wave terrorism in the country. He said all the security agencies were playing their best role in curbing the menace. However, he said that there was a need to fight poverty, unemployment and inflation to defeat terrorism in the country.
On a query about the recent attack on the Pakistani checkposts near Chitral that killed 25 paramilitary troops, the PM said that the Foreign Office had conveyed a strong message to the Afghan government on the aggression.
He said that such attacks could severely damage relations and trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some elements did not want amicable relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and were creating disturbance, he added.
To a query about the acceptance of Anna Hazare’s demands by the Indian government, Gilani said that his government was also going to introduce an Accountability Bill in parliament as per the people’s wishes.
He said that Pakistan wanted to normalise relations with neighbouring countries, especially with India, and the foreign ministers and secretaries level talks between the two countries had started in a positive manner.
He also explained that Pakistan did not change its stance on Kashmir and other core issues and his government was trying to talk with India on all issues.
Answering the questions regarding shortage of electricity in the country, the prime minister said that not only Pakistan, but Sri Lanka and Nepal were also facing the same problem. He said that the electricity load shedding in Pakistan was felt more than the other countries due to unscheduled load shedding and added that lights went off even during his own press conference.
However, he said that his government had already added around 3,000 megawatt of electricity in the energy system and several other projects, including rental powers and Bhasha Dam, were in the pipeline and would be completed within four to ten years.
Talking about the movement for creation of a separate province in the southern Punjab, he said, his government would follow the will of the people of the area and an advisory council was working on the legalities of the issue of southern Punjab as a separate province
* Government wants to ensure peace in Karachi but does not want to involve army in this matter
Staff Report
LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that Pakistan assisted the United States in the past and would continue to do so in the future, but the government would not compromise on the national interests.
Addressing a press conference along with Federal Minister for Information Firdaus Ashiq Awan at the State Guest House on Sunday, he said that the ISI and the CIA were working in close coordination with each other in the region.
“Both the countries are taking on high-valued targets jointly,” he said when asked if there were any implications for the government after reports of al Qaeda No 2 Abd al-Rahman’s death in Pakistan.
Gilani said, “We have explained to the US government that if it is answerable to Congress, then we are equally accountable to parliament.” He said that a possibility of the involvement of ‘foreign hands’ could not be ruled out in Karachi and Balochistan unrest, adding that the government would ensure peace in Karachi and did not want to involve army in the matter.
Acknowledging that the law and order situation across the country was poor, the PM held the Afghan war responsible for the wave terrorism in the country. He said all the security agencies were playing their best role in curbing the menace. However, he said that there was a need to fight poverty, unemployment and inflation to defeat terrorism in the country.
On a query about the recent attack on the Pakistani checkposts near Chitral that killed 25 paramilitary troops, the PM said that the Foreign Office had conveyed a strong message to the Afghan government on the aggression.
He said that such attacks could severely damage relations and trust between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some elements did not want amicable relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and were creating disturbance, he added.
To a query about the acceptance of Anna Hazare’s demands by the Indian government, Gilani said that his government was also going to introduce an Accountability Bill in parliament as per the people’s wishes.
He said that Pakistan wanted to normalise relations with neighbouring countries, especially with India, and the foreign ministers and secretaries level talks between the two countries had started in a positive manner.
He also explained that Pakistan did not change its stance on Kashmir and other core issues and his government was trying to talk with India on all issues.
Answering the questions regarding shortage of electricity in the country, the prime minister said that not only Pakistan, but Sri Lanka and Nepal were also facing the same problem. He said that the electricity load shedding in Pakistan was felt more than the other countries due to unscheduled load shedding and added that lights went off even during his own press conference.
However, he said that his government had already added around 3,000 megawatt of electricity in the energy system and several other projects, including rental powers and Bhasha Dam, were in the pipeline and would be completed within four to ten years.
Talking about the movement for creation of a separate province in the southern Punjab, he said, his government would follow the will of the people of the area and an advisory council was working on the legalities of the issue of southern Punjab as a separate province
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