Peace process to continue

Talking to journalists in Manchester on his return from the US, Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani made it clear that the incidents of firing on the Indo-Pak border...

Talking to journalists in Manchester on his return from the US, Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani made it clear that the incidents of firing on the Indo-Pak border will not be allowed to disturb the ongoing peace process, says The Nation August 1.Pakistan Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart met on Thursday in Colombo to discuss the agenda for Saturday8217;s meeting between the prime ministers of both countries. Dawn reports, 8220;The talks between Mr. Gilani and Mr. Singh will mark the highest-level interaction between the two countries in 15 months8221;. The talks between India and Pakistan are also significant because they are taking place after a string of bomb blasts in India and firing along the Line of Control. The Nation July 31 quotes Qureshi: 8220;the ceasefire is in operation for around five years and it is in the mutual interest of Pakistan and India to protect it8230;8221;

Claims and counter claims

Pakistan has rubbished the claims of a news report in The New York Times July 29 which stated that the CIA recently confronted the ISI claiming that some members of the latter organisation had very clear militant links. The Nation quotes the Pakistani PM as having said: 8220;8230;we will not allow that, because the ISI is directly working under the prime minister,8221; while speaking on the popular PBS programme, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. The Nation reports that the PM gave a clean chit once again to the ISI during his conversation with the Manchester press. The report says, 8220;rejecting Afghan and Indian allegations, he said that ISI is a disciplined organisation and a national asset responsible for the security of the country8230;8221;

The News August 1 reports 8220;Pakistan on Friday denied a newspaper report that its intelligence service helped plan a bombing of India8217;s embassy in Kabul that killed at least 41 people.8221; It quotes Pakistan8217;s foreign ministry spokesman who dubbed the report as 8216;total rubbish8217;. Meanwhile The News July 31 reports that US President George W. Bush also expressed his concerns over ISI8217;s functioning and role. These views were expressed by Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, defence minister who was also present at the meeting between Bush and Gilani. The report says, 8220;President Bush also asked who is controlling the ISI,8221; the minister said, indicating that Bush was probably aware of the fiasco created by the failed attempt by the Ministry of Interior to take control of the ISI through a notification8230;8221;

Gilani disappoints

The News August 1 says that PM Yousuf Raza Gilani could not make much of an impression during his address at the Council for Foreign Relations in Washington, claiming that 8220;during the Question-Answer session, his performance as a leader, as an advocate of Pakistan and as prime minister was disappointing for the select audience of about 300 people.8221; The report makes the point that a lot of former diplomats, South Asia specialists from prominent think-tanks and media personalities were present and they expected some substantive responses from the PM on issues related to terrorism, but he failed to do so. 8220;But they were disappointed when Prime Minister Gilani told them that the Americans know Pakistan better than him and that 8216;America can do any thing it wants8217;8221;, says the report.

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