Pakistan applying diplomatic pressure to stop drone attacks: Gilani
ISLAMABAD, April 13 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday told the National Assembly that diplomatic pressure was being applied on the USA to stop drone attacks in FATA and America will have to stop it.In reply to various issues raised by Leader of the Opposition, Ch. Nisar Ali Khan, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan was a responsible nuclear state and diplomatic channels were being used to compel the USA to stop drone attacks as these were counter-productive.He said this is the great achievement of the present coalition government to unite the whole nation in fighting against terrorism by adopting a rational strategy  which isolated the terrorists and militants from the local tribal people.
He said the security forces conducted the successful operation against militants. However,whenever a drone attack was carried out, it worked to unite the militants and the tribal people. This created problems for the government because no war was won without  support of the people.
The Prime Minister said that  the leadership of both Pakistan and Afghanistan were united against the drone attacks and these were not in favour of both the countries. He said that Pakistan was part of the solution of the Afghan issue.The Prime Minister said that the Afghan war cannot be won without the support of Pakistan.
He said that terrorism, law and order and economy  are inter-related. He said until the issues of terrorism and law and order are not controlled the foreign investment will not come to the country.
He said even one suicide attack would scare the investors away.Gilani said the issue of Geo Super TV channel is before  the court so he could not comment on it.
About the issue of judiciary, the Prime Minister  said that he had told the Parliament time and again that the Government is in good terms with the judiciary and both the institutions are collectively working to strengthen democracy. And if there is any difference of opinion, “even then when you agree to disagree, it is democracy,” he added.
About the US citizen Raymond Davis who killed two Pakistani nationals in Lahore, the Prime Minister said that the entire leadership of the country was unanimous that the issue should be resolved through the court of law. 
“I had told this august House that whatever decision comes from the court, it will be acceptable to the government,” he said, adding, “We are  unable to understand why this issue is being discussed in this way.”
“I am a strong believer of the rule of law, the court has passed a judgement after a deal between the two parties and if a complainant of the FIR (First Information Report) is not satisfied he can challenge the judgment before the high court,” the Prime Minister said.The Prime Minister said that the agencies should not be dragged in the Raymond Davis issue.
He congratulated the Parliament that the Supreme Court has admitted a reference sent by the President about the judicial murder of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said that this case would provide an opportunity to correct a historic wrong, adding, this is another achievement of the present government.
Prime Minister Gilani said that when he was going to join the PPP and met Shaheed Benazir Bhutto in Karachi in 1988, she told him to first resign from the Parliament under protest for restoration of the 1973 Constitution. “And then I resigned from the National Assebly under protest.”
He said that today Shaheed Benazir Bhutto is not in this world but PPP has restored the Constitution, which was given to this country by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The Prime Minister said that it was the role of the opposition to criticize the government and the latter should listen to it with tolerance, clarify it, and act upon it.
He said that under Article 91 of the Constitution, the prime minister and ministers are answerable to the Parliament. He said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto removed the sense of deprivation of smaller provinces and established two institutions of the Parliament -- the National Assembly and the Senate.
“We are chosen representatives of the people and if we do not represent people’s aspiration, we have no right to sit here,” the Prime Minister added.
The Prime Minister appreciated another big achievement of the present Parliament, passing of the 18th and 19th Amendments unanimously.
He said for the first time the Prime Minister voluntarily sits in Parliament proceedings.The Prime Minister said that inflation, petroleum prices and load-shedding had affected the people, but all these things have multiplied due to global recession, increase in prices of petroleum products in the international markets, war on terrorism and floods.He said when all the things compound they put pressure on the economy.