Drone attacks are counter productive: PM
ISLAMABAD, Apr 19 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that drone attacks are counter productive as the government loses sympathy of local tribesmen in its efforts to  isolate militants.In an interview to Russia Today, he said, “We have successfully planned our strategy from military and political points of view. We have to isolate the militants from the local tribes and we have been successful.”He said, “the local tribes are supporting us and not supporting the militants, but once there is a drone attack then the sympathy of the local tribes is created for the militants.”  “These are the problems. They are counter productive, neither in favour of military strategy nor political. 
They make our work difficult. We have told the US if there is any actionable information or something very concrete, you share with us, so we will hit them ourselves. Because this is our own war and it is not a proxy war,” he added.
Gilani said the United States has presence in Afghanistan and “we have no problem with their presence in Afghanistan as far as they don’t destabilize Pakistan. We are more concerned about our own national security.” 
He said he went to Kabul and talked to President Karzai about issues related to terrorism. “We have realized that we both have sacrificed a lot to fight against the common enemy.  Therefore, the realization is a big paradigm shift between Afghanistan and Pakistan.” 
“We have agreed that our soil should not be used against each other and at the same time we have to respect the UN and the other countries have to respect the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan,” he added.
To a question, Gilani said the terrain between Afghanistan and Pakistan border is so big that it is difficult to fight there. So if someone needs to fight in that area, it would prefer Pakistan as an ally.
He said Pakistan is part of the solution to problems faced by the international community.
“We are part of the solution. There are already 3.5 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan and there is a cross border movement of 30,000 to 40,000 people every day,” he noted.
The Prime Minister said, “Afghans have been living in the refugee camps for the last 30 years. There have been intermarriages in Pakistan and they have been establishing their businesses and studied in Pakistan and they are almost the citizens of Pakistan. Therefore, you hardly know whether somebody is a militant and somebody is not a militant.”
“We have already offered to Afghanistan’s government for setting up of a biometric system.”
“So whatever the cross border movement is taking place between both the countries, that should be precise. So one should know who is a terrorist and who is not a terrorist. But since we are discussing with them, if the biometric system is accepted, there will be a lot of control on the border,”
Gilani added.Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan has not received any money from the United States for tribal areas bordering Afghanistan as yet and whatever money US has to give, it is through their own system of INGOs not through the Pakistani system.
About the Coalition Support Fund, he said, it is for the military and “whatever we have already delivered, that is reimbursed.     
“Therefore, there is hardly anything which you can say that can be leaked and it goes to the militants,” he said adding the militants are much more equipped with the sophisticated weapons gained with the drug money by drug barons.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan’s nuclear program is quite secure and last year he attended a nuclear conference in Washington and even President Obama made a statement prior to his arrival there that Pakistan’s nuclear program is in safe hands.
“We have a well organized system to secure our program.”
He said Pakistan and Russia have their relations since 1948.
“There had been a lot of ups and downs in our relationship but after 9/11 again we had a common strategy to fighting against the extremism and there is a lot of cooperation at international and regional forums. We are also the observer member of SCO and we are having good interactions with Russia,” he added.
To a question about India-Pakistan ties, Gilani said, “with the one incident of Mumbai the relations became strained and now we have again got together and realized that we both are facing terrorism and extremism therefore if we don’t go for dialogue the terrorists would become beneficiary.”
“There is realization in the two countries that we should fight together our common enemy. We have also taken the ownership of mutual issues which are pending and decided to discuss all the core issues with India,” he added.
The Prime Minister said, “there is a huge challenge and we have accepted the challenge since the people of Pakistan have reposed confidence in us and they have elected us, therefore we have to deliver.”