Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting that included Army and ISI chiefs amid speculations that preparedness of the armed forces was reviewed.Though a Government release issued after the meeting did not give details about the meeting, television channels reported that the meeting reviewed the operational preparedness of the armed force and resolved to defend Pakistan’s territorial integrity.Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Foreign Minister Qureshi, Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha participated in the meeting, the release from the Prime Minister’s House said.Qureshi briefed the gathering on the foreign policy response to India’s allegations that Pakistan-based elements were involved in the Mumbai attacks, the reports said.Meanwhile, during a telephone conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, Qureshi said Pakistan too was a victim of terrorism and was fully cooperating with the international community to fight the menace. Condemning the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Qureshi reiterated that Pakistan would “fully cooperate in the investigation” into the incident, said a statement from the Foreign Office.Smith and Qureshi discussed the situation in the region following the Mumbai attacks and bilateral relations. Smith lauded “Pakistan’s role in keeping the tension down in the region by adopting a constructive approach”, the statement said.In a separate development, Gen Tariq Majid, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, told Chinese Ambassador Luo Zhaohui during a meeting, of “Pakistan’s strong desire to maintain peace and stability in the region,” said a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations.The envoy called on Majid to discuss the “post-Mumbai evolving security environment in the region” and Majid’s upcoming visit to China. Majid also dispelled the “undue apprehensions being aired by some quarters in the Western countries about the safety of the strategic assets of Pakistan”. He said Pakistan has an effective command authority and foolproof custodial controls. The security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal “will be ensured at all costs”, Majid said.
