Updated at: 1756 PST, Sunday, December 13, 2009
MULTAN: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that the strategy of Pakistan and the US must be the same to win the war on terrorism.Addressing a press conference at airport, he said Pakistan had been consulted by the US on the new Afghan policy and added that US officials would soon visit Pakistan to share more details and for discussions.“Pakistan must be on board for its success,” he added. PM Gilani said Pakistan had a strategic relationship with the US and cooperation in intelligence and defence was the main focus. He said Pakistan and the US must be on the same page to win the war on terrorism and both had the realization. He said terrorism was a big threat which was not only claiming precious lives but also hurting the economy. To a question, he said the government was considering to grant general amnesty to Baloch people and their leaders to eliminate the trust deficit created in the last dictatorial regime. He said a consensus among all federating units on the NFC Award was a big achievemt of democracy and political forces deserved commendation for their invaluable contributions that paved the way for resolving the issue. He said a larger share of Balochistan in the NFC Award and the ‘Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan’ package would remove apprehensions of Baloch people and their leaders living abroad. “It will build and strengthen trust because actions speak louder than words,” he added. The prime minister said the provinces and the federal government had decided not to defend the NRO in courts, adding, “We will accept the decision the Supreme Court of Pakistan.” To a question on Indian involvement in Balochistan, he said Balochistan was a sensitive issue so statements on it should be avoided. “We cannot disclose our strategy but we have evidence and will present it at an appropriate forum at a suitable time,” he added. He recalled he had discussed the matter with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and it was also mentioned in a joint statement by foreign secretaries of the two countries. “It was agreed that dialogue was the only way forward and all issues including Balochistan, water and Kashmir would be resolved through talks,” he added. He said there was a realisation all over the world that all issues should be settled through talks. He said Pakistan wanted good relations with neighbouring countries including China, Afghanistan, Iran and India. “However, the Mumbai incident created refit between India and Pakistan,” he observed. PM Gilani stressed cooperation between the two countries in areas including anti-terrorism and pointed out that only terrorists would benefit from stalled talks between Pakistan and India. To a question, he said, Gilgit-Baltistan was given autonomy under an executive order but the issue relating to a demand for a new province required amendment in the constitution and no party had a two-thirds majority for the purpose. He said he had never opposed the demand for a new province and said it was not a suitable time to raise issues which could destabilise the country. He said, “We are still in the process of removing deprivations of Balochistan and the NWFP. It is time to consolidate and strengthen the country.” He said an agreement had not yet been reached on renaming the NWFP as Pakhtoonkhwa. He said the country was passing through a difficult situation and issues, like a new province, could bring instability. On the occasion, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani announced a Rs 25 million compensation package for victims of the Multan blast. He told the newsmen that bereaved families of 10 martyrs would get Rs 500,000 each while each injured of the Qasim Bela blast would receive Rs 100,000. “The rest of the amount will be used to compensate people whose houses were damaged in the incident,” he added.Condeming the blast, he said it was the first incident of its kind in the recent past in Madinatul Aullia Multan that was home to peace loving people who believe in the teachings of Sufis and saints.
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