Discussion with Indian PM in Mohali involved all core issues including Kashmir: Gilani
ISLAMABAD, Apr 1 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday emphatically stated his talks with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in Mohali involved all core and outstanding issues between the two countries including Kashmir. “How we [Pakistan and India] can move forward without resolving the Kashmir dispute. We discussed all core and outstanding issues including Kashmir”, Gilani said while responding to queries of callers in the live monthly television programme “Prime Minister On-Line”. The Prime Minister said he discussed the issue of Kashmir with the Indian Prime Minister not only this time, but during his all previous meetings as well.
The Prime Minister referred to his meetings with the Indian Prime Minister in Colombo in 2008, in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2009 and then in Thimpu, Bhutan, and said it was Thimpu where the two leaders agreed to resume the dialogue process at Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister levels.
Gilani said he accepted the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to witness the Pak-India ICC World Cup semi-final in Mohali, with a view that it would provide a good opportunity of discussion with the Indian Prime Minister.
The two countries have to find the solution of their issues through dialogue, he added.
“It would be unfair to make a comparison of his visit to India with those of dictators’ visits for witnessing the cricket match”, Gilani remarked in response to a question about the history of Pakistan-India cricket diplomacy vis a vis visits of former Presidents General Zia ul Haq and Pervez Musharraf in 1987 and 2005, respectively.
Gilani said he is a democratically elected Prime Minister and there were democratic governments in both countries, with leaders having rendered great sacrifices for democracy.
To a question, the Prime Minister said despite the Mumbai incident, he and Prime Minister Singh in their meeting in Thimpu agreed to resume dialogue and not let the dialogue process become hostage to such incidents, as it would only benefit the militants.
Gilani said the presence of Indian Congress President Ms. Sonia Gandhi in the Mohali meeting was also a show of solidarity.
The Prime Minister said the recent Interior Secretary level talks between Pakistan and India in New Delhi remained extremely successful, adding, the forthcoming Commerce Secretary level talks would follow more meetings where each and every issue would be discussed.
To a question regarding the third-party mediation, the Prime Minister said, Pakistan and India can and should resolve their issues through bilateral dialogue, adding, “We have to take ownership of our issues”.
To a question about extension in the service of Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt. General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the Prime Minister said he has been given one-year extension in view of the situation, which required continuity.
“It is our prerogative. We thought he (Pasha) is required to continue. He is an intelligent officer”, Gilani responded to yet another question about his extension.
Prime Minister Gilani, in response to a question about the latest upward revision in the prices of petroleum products, said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) makes adjustments in oil prices according to the fluctuation in international market.
Gilani, however, added that despite the fact that the government has so far taken a revenue hit of Rs. 35 billion through subsidies in the petroleum products, he has directed the Minister for Finance to find ways and means for some relief in the petroleum prices in consultation with political leadership.
The Prime Minister told a caller that despite the pressure of global recession, shortage of electricity, floods and war against militants, the country’s exports registered 46% increase, workers remittances are expected to reach $ 11 billion, the foreign exchange reserves were all time high at around $ 17 billion and stock market was performing well.
He said when the present government came into power, the country was facing shortage of wheat flour, adding, but now there was surplus wheat in the country and was being exported.
To another question, the Prime Minister said with a 65 percent of youth population, the government was trying to check unemployment through various measures that also included curbing the electricity shortage to encourage growth in industry and improving the law and order situation to attract more foreign investment.
He further said the government intends to open IT-Campuses in every district of the country at a cost of Rs. 35 million each campus to be run under the Virtual University, to make our youth skilled for better job opportunities.
To a question about re-opening of the judicial murder case of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Prime Minister said it was the decision of party and cabinet as well as PPP leadership’s public commitment.
Gilani said, it (judicial murder) was a historical wrong, as also accepted by various jurists including Justice Naseem Hassan Shah in his book, which should be rectified, adding, the President has also constitutional right to file such a reference.
About exposing the killers of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the Prime Minister said it was decided in the party that the Interior Ministry would brief the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) on this issue and it would be done in the CEC meeting in the presence of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
To a question about Balochistan, the Prime Minister said the government gave the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package to help lesson the sense of deprivation in the province.
He also mentioned the approval of 18th Constitutional Amendment and 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and said these measures were meant to ensuring provincial autonomy and provide additional financial resources to resolve the problems of smaller provinces.
The Prime Minister said it was the PPP and its founder Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, which changed the parliament from a unicameral to a bicameral one, giving equal representation to all provinces in the Senate, adding, due to this change no constitutional amendment can be approved without two-third majority.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani assured a caller that the PPP Government during the next two years, will fully concentrate on unemployment and the issue of poverty.
“We want to reduce electricity shortage so that the industries run and the people get more jobs,” he added.
He said that Benazir Income Support Programme has been a great success which provides direct income support to poor households. Under this scheme, he said, Waseela-e-Haq and Life Insurance programmes had already been launched while health insurance programme is being launched to help the poor segments of the society. 
He said that a house-to-house survey about the people of below poverty line is going on and after its completion tariff slabs would be devised for these people so that they could be provided free gas and electricity.
About the target killing issue in Karachi, the Prime Minister said, Karachi is the economic and commercial hub and a mini-Pakistan, and its answer is totally political.
He said that government is fully concentrating to resolve the issue politically and through its policy of reconciliation. However, he added that any one found involved in disturbing the law and order and target killings, will be brought to justice.
About Nawaz Sharif’s ten-point agenda, he said, the federal and Punjab governments are jointly working on it.
The Prime Minister assured a caller that the government will take care of the surplus employees of the federal ministries transferred to the provinces under the devolution plan and all these employees will be accommodated.
The Prime Minister said that government is fully aware of education and health sectors but after the 18th Amendment, it is now a provincial subject.
He said that it is now the responsibilities of the provincial governments to fully concentrate on it and enhance its capacity while the federal government’s role is to make policies.
About the Education Task Force, he said, this task force, headed by Shahnaz Wazir Ali, have contributed a lot, adding, after the 18th Amendment it has been ensured that all children of five year of age would be enrolled in schools and provided education at state’s cost.
The Prime Minister said that the issue of Lady Health Workers (LHWs) would be resolved.
To a question about corruption charges on his government, the Prime Minister said that there is a slight difference between accountability and revenge.
“Corruption charges were always levelled against the elected government and they were removed from their offices on these false charges,” the Prime Minister said.
To a question about last book he has read, the Prime Minister said,” I have a lot of books in my library but due to my busy schedule, I have no time to read them, however, I read newspapers and articles regularly.”