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Decision to be based on need, not dictates: Gilani
Friday, 15 Oct, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Rejecting US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen’s assertion that army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had assured him of launching an operation in North Waziristan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said a decision about such an action would depend on Pakistan’s needs and not on external dictation.
Talking to this correspondent while flying back to the capital from Karachi after seeing off Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister said: “The government is committed to taking action wherever any terrorist threat exists, but before taking any such decision it will consult the political leadership as it had done before launching operations in Swat and South Waziristan.”
He said he had consulted parliament and the political leadership before launching the operation and the chief of the army staff (COAS) had extensively briefed them.
“Although Gen Kayani still has that permission, it will be better if the political leadership is consulted once again before taking a fresh initiative.”
Answering a question, he said there was no external pressure for the extension of service recently given to Gen Kayani. “Even the COAS had to be persuaded to accept the extension.”
When asked why was the United States pressurising Pakistan to knock down the Haqqani network and at the same time supporting President Hamid Karzai’s move to hold talks with the group, the prime minister said: “I believe that Karzai’s talks roadmap is not clear yet. He had promised during his recent visit to Islamabad to share it with us.”
The prime minister said he had sacked five beneficiaries of the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). He said he would strictly follow the Supreme Court’s directives in respect of other beneficiaries, even if they included some ministers, after the submission of their list.
Mr Gilani said the Turkish prime minister was deter-mined to help Pakistan in rehabilitating the flood-affected people and expanding cooperation in all fields of nation building.
Friday, 15 Oct, 2010
ISLAMABAD: Rejecting US military chief Admiral Mike Mullen’s assertion that army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had assured him of launching an operation in North Waziristan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said a decision about such an action would depend on Pakistan’s needs and not on external dictation.
Talking to this correspondent while flying back to the capital from Karachi after seeing off Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister said: “The government is committed to taking action wherever any terrorist threat exists, but before taking any such decision it will consult the political leadership as it had done before launching operations in Swat and South Waziristan.”
He said he had consulted parliament and the political leadership before launching the operation and the chief of the army staff (COAS) had extensively briefed them.
“Although Gen Kayani still has that permission, it will be better if the political leadership is consulted once again before taking a fresh initiative.”
Answering a question, he said there was no external pressure for the extension of service recently given to Gen Kayani. “Even the COAS had to be persuaded to accept the extension.”
When asked why was the United States pressurising Pakistan to knock down the Haqqani network and at the same time supporting President Hamid Karzai’s move to hold talks with the group, the prime minister said: “I believe that Karzai’s talks roadmap is not clear yet. He had promised during his recent visit to Islamabad to share it with us.”
The prime minister said he had sacked five beneficiaries of the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). He said he would strictly follow the Supreme Court’s directives in respect of other beneficiaries, even if they included some ministers, after the submission of their list.
Mr Gilani said the Turkish prime minister was deter-mined to help Pakistan in rehabilitating the flood-affected people and expanding cooperation in all fields of nation building.
