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Journalism of Courage
With the US Congress giving its nod to the civil nuclear deal with India, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday indicated that the country may seek a similar arrangement with its close ally China.
“Pakistan will now make efforts for a civil nuclear deal and they (the world community) will have to accommodate us,” Gilani said in his hometown of Multan, soon after the Indo-US nuclear deal was approved by the US Senate on Thursday.
Stressing that there was ‘no need to worry’, Gilani said, “Now that the civil nuclear deal with India has been finalised, Pakistan will have the right to ask for a similar deal because we do not want there to be any discrimination.”
Asked if Pakistan would seek nuclear technology and know-how from China, Gilani said Beijing and Islamabad had a ‘unique relationship’ that was a ‘time-tested and all-weather friendship’.
“Very soon the President (Asif Ali Zardari) and myself will be visiting China. Our cooperation is not limited to any one field (and we have) multi-dimensional cooperation. It is not only government-to- government friendship, it is people-to-people friendship with China. Our cooperation in defence will increase,” he said.
Commenting on Pakistan’s relations with its immediate neighbours, India and Afghanistan, Gilani said, “We should have a joint strategy to bring prosperity and progress to this region and to provide security to the people.”
“Pakistan is holding talks with India to resolve outstanding issues and there have been several meetings between the top leaders of the two countries,” he said.
Gilani said the outcome of the US elections would not affect Pakistan’s stature as a key ally in the war on terror.
“Whoever comes to power in the US will be needing Pakistan (for the war against terror),” he said.
He said Pakistan is “not isolated” as it is “moving along with the world” in the war against terror. However, he said the US would “have to respect the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan” it its campaign against militants.
“(Pakistan is) an independent country and nobody is allowed to interfere in the sovereignty of Pakistan. This is the assurance given by President (George W) Bush to me when I went to Washington for bilateral talks with him,” he said.
In recent weeks, Pakistan has complained against cross-border missile strikes and raids in its tribal areas by US-led forces in Afghanistan, saying such actions violated the country’s sovereignty.
The government is holding dialogues with tribals, who have formed ‘lashkars’ or local militias to fight militants, Gilani said. These lashkars have said that foreigners and terrorists will not be given shelter and that action will be taken against anyone sheltering terrorists, he added.
“This is the first time such a thing has happened in Pakistan (and the) army has the full backing and support of the people of Pakistan when it takes action against terrorists.
This has sent out a good message,” he said.
“We are united against terrorism and the government is committed to protecting the life and property of the people. If the government can’t do that, it can’t be called a government (and) there will be a free-for-all.”
On possible scrapping of the President’s controversial powers under the 17th constitutional amendment, including the ability to dissolve the parliament and dismiss the premier, Gilani said the parliamentary leaders of different parties will be consulted to evolve consensus on this issue.
