News
Monday, April 09, 2012
Court permitted Husain Haqqani to go abroad, not we: Gilani* PM says ISI has no role in politics
* Law, order situation affecting govt efforts to end sense of deprivation among Baloch
* India should provide evidence against Hafiz Saeed
Staff Report
LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that friendly relations with India were in interest of Pakistan and must for stability in the region.
Talking to reporters, he said that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s pledged visit to Pakistan would help strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
The PM said that during his visit to China, Chinese friends emphasised on good Pak-India relations. He added that the US was also in favour of Pakistan’s friendly relations with India.
Calling President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to India “successful”, the PM said that stability in Pakistan depends on its good relations with India and other nieghbouring countries, including Iran and Afghanistan.
He said that President Zardari and PM Singh had discussed all bilateral issues, including Kashmir.
About the controversy surrounding Hafiz Saeed, Gilani said that India should negotiate with Pakistan directly and provide evidence against the Jamaatud Dawa chief to Pakistan.
He said that a meeting of Pakistani and Indian interior secretaries would be held in Islamabad on April 16 to discuss the Hafiz Saeed issue.
Gilani said that India had only 500 megawatts of surplus electricity, adding that Islamabad was negotiating with New Delhi to get power to overcome load shedding.
About Balochistan, the PM said that the governor and chief minister of the province had demanded that the federal government provide assistance of the army and Inter-Services Intelligence to control the law and order situation. He said he had some meetings with the DG ISI and army chief following this demand, and that all stakeholders would be taken into confidence over the issue.
Gilani said five most important issues facing Balochistan included rights, royalty, award, deprivation and law and order. He said that his government had resolved the issue of royalty and rights and had ended Balochs’ deprivations but the law and order situation was harming all these efforts.
Discussing the issue of former ambassador Husain Haqqani, the prime minster said that the government was not involved in sending him abroad or removing his name from the Exit Control List. He said that it was court which permitted Haqqani to go out of country and removed his name from the ECL.
About closing the political wing of the ISI, he reiterated the stance of his government, saying, “The ISI has no role in politics.” He also expressed his concern for more than 100 soldiers who were buried under snow after an avalanche hit their camp on the Siachen Glacier.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk