Pakistan not to allow use of its soil against terrorism: Gilani
ISLAMABAD, May 2 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Monday said Pakistan will not allow use of its soil for terrorism against any other country. While giving interviews to a French magazine Politique Internationale and a foreign new agency, the Prime Minister said Pakistan suffered thousands of lives of its soldiers, civilians, women and children in the fight against terrorism.
To a question about killing of Osama Bin Laden, he said he does not have minute details of the incident.
Intelligence sharing was involved in the operation, he added.
Gilani said it was an embarrassment for the whole world that Osama could not be captured earlier despite the latest technology.
He said Osama was found in a remote hilly area of Abbottabad and his body was in Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan has intelligence sharing agreement with United States and other countries.
“We have good relations and multi-dimensional cooperation with the US in fields of health, education, defence and culture.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be in Pakistan later this month while President Zardari is also due in US in coming weeks, while high level officials visit each others’ countries on regular basis, he added.
The Prime Minister said ties of Pakistan and US are not hostage to a single incident and they have to move forward in their bilateral relations.
To a question about his upcoming visit to France, he said France was an important member of NATO, G-8 and P-5.
Pakistan and France will upgrade their bilateral relations to ministerial level, he said and added during his visit both sides will sign an agreement to increase economic and trade cooperation.
To another question about PPP government’s power sharing agreement with PML(Q), he said PML(Q) was always in touch with the government and it supported him in his unanimous election as Prime Minister.
Following the policy of reconciliation, he said the government is friendly with all political parties, nobody was victimized and at present there is no political prisoner in the country.
“We wanted a more stable government to carry out economic reforms,” Gilani said adding, “we were criticised by the West on slow pace of economic reforms. Now we will try to implement RGST.”
Discussing his government’s three-year performance, Gilani said the two most important issues facing the government were militancy and extremism and economic difficulties.
When the writ of government is challenged and suicide attacks take place, there is flight of capital, he remarked.
“We have to create a conducive environment for investors.”
Gilani said the biggest success of his government was to unite the whole nation in fight against militancy.
“Successful military operations were carried out in Swat, Malakand and South Waziristan with the support of masses. We successfully isolated militants from local tribesmen. We are moving in the right direction.”
To a question, he said Rs. 10.3 billion were collected in the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Programme and the money will be spent on building of major bridges and infrastructure.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan, NATO and Afghan forces are complementing each other in fighting militancy in the region.
“Our sacrifices are more than the combined casualties of NATO and international forces,” he said adding the government’s biggest achievement was giving political ownership to the war on militancy.
Timing for any other operation will be decided by the military, he added.
Gilani said the government is working to enact reforms in FATA and following 3-D policy of Dialogue, Deterrence and Development and establish Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) with the assistance of US to bring prosperity in border areas.
The Prime Minister said the government successfully and efficiently settled the internally displaced persons after operations in Swat and Malakand and gave them compensation.
To a question on relations with India, he said ties with India improved tremendously and he went to India to watch a cricket match and held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi.
Now the two countries have resumed dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including the dispute of Kashmir, he added.
Gilani said he went to Kabul two times in four months.  Pakistan has been supporting Afghanistan, both countries respect each other’s sovereignty and Pakistan wanted its neighbour to become peaceful and prosperous.
“We are part of the solution. It is difficult to win a war on militancy without Pakistan,” he observed.
The Prime Minister said his government will give more incentives to foreign companies to invest in Pakistan.
Already many companies are doing business in Pakistan and they are getting full security, he added.
He said Pakistan is seeking trade and not aid and it will ask France to help it in achieving more market access in European market.
He said Pakistan wanted to be treated equal to India in the supply of civilian nuclear energy as it will enhance regional stability and also help Pakistan in overcoming its energy shortage.
Pakistan has requested France for civilian nuclear energy and “we desperately need electricity to meet our energy needs,” he added.
The Prime Minister said the government is giving priority to protect rights of women and minorities.
“Laws should be respected but blasphemy law should not be misused,” he said adding Shahbaz Bhatti was not only the leader of minorities but a leader of Pakistan and he was killed by terrorists.