Pakistan to continue fighting terrorism: PM 

      
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Monday that despite daunting challenges Pakistan would continue to fight the menace of terrorism for the sake of peace and prosperity of the world. The Prime Minister highlighted that security and economic situations were intricately linked as poverty, lack of education and under development were the root causes of extremism and terrorism.
He hoped that the international community would honour its pledges made at the Tokyo Donors’ Conference last year to address the primary issues.
The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s resolve to introduce economic reforms in the country, broaden the tax base and fulfill the commitments made by his government to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other International Financial Institutions (IFIs).
The Prime Minister was talking to Mrs. Theresa May, British Secretary of State for Home Affairs and Women and Equality, who called on him here at the PM House on Monday.
The Prime Minister, while appreciating the British Programme of Deredicalisation of Youth through its educational institutions, hoped that other countries would also follow this policy.
The Prime Minister proposed that Pakistan and Britain should consider recreation of a mechanism as well as parameters for cooperation between their security agencies.
He further stressed upon sharing of information and real time intelligence to enable the Pakistan authorities for taking the preemptive measures against any possible threat to the United Kingdom and other western countries from terrorists.
The Prime Minister expressed the concern on inordinate delays and high rate of rejection of visas to Pakistani politicians, businessmen, professionals and students by the UK High Commission in Islamabad.
He emphasized that the British visa service for Pakistani citizens should be resumed from Islamabad as earlier, since the underlying reasons for its shifting to Abu Dhabi did not exist any more.
The Prime Minister said that he was looking forward to receive the British Prime Minister in Islamabad in December to formally  re-launch the strategic dialogue between the two countries. He hoped that Prime Minister Cameron’s visit would impart new impetus to the cooperation in areas of finance, industry, defence, security, agriculture and cultural activities.
He welcomed the establishment of British-Pakistan Foundation which would help mobilize the Pakistani community in the UK to serve as a bridge between the two sides.
He also praised the role of Pakistan-UK task force as a long term answer to extremism and militancy and called for both countries’ concerted efforts in this context.
The Prime Minister praised Mrs. Theresa for her contribution to encourage and train women leaders in her country to successfully contribute in the parliamentary elections.
He apprised her that it was during Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s government that a separate Ministry for Women Development was established whereas his own government had given complete administrative and financial autonomy to the National Commission on the Status of Women to independently work for women empowerment.
It was during his government that laws for protection against harassment of women at work place were enacted and legislation was being introduced to curb the domestic violence against women, he added.
The Prime Minister said that it was a fact of pride for Pakistan that 17% Members of the National and Provincial Assemblies as well as Senate were women and they were given enhanced representation in every sphere of life during his government.
Mrs. Theresa appreciated Pakistan’s efforts and its role as a bulwark against terrorism to contribute towards the regional and world’s stability.
She said that her government wanted to work in a cooperative way with Pakistan on matters relating to counter-terrorism and she would like to have in-depth discussions during her recent trip to Pakistan to prepare and finalize cooperative framework on these issues before Prime Minister Cameron’s visit.
She said that no country in the world had faced such magnitude of devastation, as did by Pakistan in the recent floods. She recalled the British government and people’s efforts to generate assistance to Pakistan for relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims.
Mrs. Theresa said that her government had allocated extra funding, particularly for rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged bridges and would continue to do so even in the future.
She welcomed the Pakistan government’s commitment to introduce economic reforms in the country and renewed the pledge of her government to help it in the education sector through the bilateral task force.