 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
|
 |
 |
|
| UK backs Pakistan’s anti-terror strategy, says Miliband |
|
|
|
|
|
Thursday, November 27, 2008
President, PM express concern over US drone attacks
By Mariana Baabar & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband while supporting Pakistan’s latest strategy to fight terrorism has said that world attention is increasingly focused on the country which has also emerged as an important player in the fields of economy and security. He said that there is also Pakistan’s strategy to combat terrorism by means others than simply using the military also enjoys British support.
He made these remarks in his meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi during his day-long visit to the federal capital, his second in six months.
Miliband advised the leadership that it was important that Pakistan came up with comprehensive proposals in the fields of education for consideration of the ministerial meeting of donors to Pakistan on December 16 in New York.
President Asif Ali Zardari in his meeting with the British foreign secretary said the multi-pronged strategy adopted by the new democratic government in the fight against terrorism had started yielding results. However, he maintained that the unilateral strikes from across the border were not helping the situation.
The president conveyed to the visiting British foreign secretary the growing concern of the government and the people of Pakistan over attacks from across the border into its territory. He said the issue of terrorism was being dealt with on the political, economic and military fronts simultaneously and was aimed at bringing peace and stability to the region. The president said the effective strategy adopted by the government had full political and public ownership.
He also discussed with Miliband bilateral relations and the need for a more meaningful economic and trade partnership between the two countries. He was appreciative of the lead role Britain was playing at the Friends of Pakistan forum and the assistance the group had pledged for Pakistan’s development, institution building, energy, stability and border areas.
The president also sought the support of the United Kingdom in helping Pakistan gain greater market access to the European Union. David Miliband said his country greatly valued its relations with Pakistan and assured full cooperation in all areas.
According to statements from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the Foreign Office, Miliband greatly appreciated the continuing efforts that Pakistan is making to fight terror and militancy. “He said terrorism was a matter of global concern as it is for Pakistan. Pakistan has faced a lot of difficulties due to its frontline role in the war against terror and is still passing through a difficult phase”, the statements said.
While appreciating Pakistan’s new strategy to address the issue of terrorism, he said the British government supported the need to incorporate political and economic means besides security measures to confront the challenges of terrorism in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani leadership expressed its concern as well as that of the public over attacks from across the border into Pakistan’s territory. The foreign minister briefed his British counterpart on the government’s domestic priorities and the concrete measures it has taken to meet the various challenges facing the country, including the multi-pronged strategy in the fight against terrorism, which was effective, was delivering results and had political and public ownership.
Islamabad’s efforts to come out of the economic downslide were also part of the discussions and in this context the prime minister expressed the hope that the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum would pave the way for substantive cooperation in the economic field.
The three-tier forum is expected to meet regularly to help synergise cooperation activities with Pakistan on different platforms with the forum’s members. “The prime minister called for the UK’s assistance in the EU for enhanced market access through the GSP + arrangement and FTA. He said Pakistan is looking forward to the UK’s support to the government of Pakistan’s roadmap presented at the New York ministerial meeting for comprehensively upgrading relations with the EU as enhanced market access to Pakistan would not only help Pakistan’s economy to flourish but would also help in our mutual efforts to counter terrorism”, said the statement.
Miliband said that Britain had important linkages with Pakistan in fighting terrorism, narcotics control, and said that his country would continue its support to Pakistan. He expressed the desire to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of education and against illegal migration.
During the meeting between the two foreign ministers bilateral relations, matters relating to the European Union, the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Forum, counter-terrorism, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s relations with India were discussed.
Qureshi stated that there was greater coordination and trust between the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments and a number of meetings had taken place in this regard. He stressed particularly on the issues of governance and drug control in Afghanistan.
Miliband was also briefed at the Foreign Office on the composite dialogue process with India and Pakistan’s endeavours to improve relations all around. He also underlined that the important issue of water sharing must be resolved quickly under the Indus Water Treaty.
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
Destroy militant hideouts in Pakistan: Karzai
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday urged his Western allies to destroy Islamist militant sanctuaries in neighbouring Pakistan after thousands of secret US files were leaked.
“The time has come more |
|
|
199 die in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rains, floods
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: The death toll from torrential rain and floods in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last two days reached 199 as dozens more casualties were reported on Thursday.
The heavy showers more |
|
|
Severe rains threaten three provinces, warnings issued
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Flood Commission and the Met office have warned the authorities that the next 24 hours are critical and if the ongoing spell of rains continues, innumerable villages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa more |
|
|
Possible factors that brought Airblue plane down
By Shakil Shaikh
ISLAMABAD: A probe into the horrifying crash of Airblue’s Airbus into the Margalla hills, which killed all 152 persons on board, has been started to find out all possible factors that contributed to the disastr more |
|
|
Plane crash probe will be transparent: Malik
ISLAMABAD: Federal minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Thursday confirmed that 66 bodies had been handed over to their heirs after their identification through DNA.
Talking to media here he said the Bl more |
|
|
|
Parliamentary body has primacy over judicial commission: CJ
Wonders if Murree, Changa Manga would also be staged in judges appointment; advises against humiliating judiciary; says PM made powerless in judges appointment
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Just more |
|
|
|
HEC not satisfied with Sindh University verification process
By Usman Manzoor
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission has formally conveyed to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education that it was not satisfied with the verification process adopted by the University of S more |
|
|
|
Wants dictators punished
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has reinstated a ban on Islamic political parties in the latest blow to religious hardliners in the impoverished South Asian country, a minister said Thursday.
In a deta more |
|
|
|
ECP, HEC in row over focal person
By Saadia Khalid
ISLAMABAD: The appointment of a focal person in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has raised yet another controversy as the HEC officials say they have not received any notification as yet while the ECP cla more |
|
|
|
ECP finds itself in a limbo, no matter what the HEC does
By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unable to proceed against the fake degree holders unless it is duly constituted with the induction of four retired high court judges as its members.
Ch more |
|
|
|
Indian PM says hopeful of restoring Pakistan talks
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday he was hopeful of restoring talks “sooner or later” to improve ties with Pakistan after their last meeting ended in acrimony over the 2008 Mumbai more |
|
|
|
Crackdown forced Afghan militants to leave Pakistan: FM
By Tahir Hasan Khan
KARACHI: Rejecting the Afghan President Hamid Karzaiís comments, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that most of the Afghan war stalwarts had left Pakistan for other places due to crackdown more |
|
|
|
Zardari fares poorly, Kayani more popular: poll
WASHINGTON: Only one in five Pakistanis view their president, Asif Ali Zardari, favourably while the country’s army chief gets a more positive rating, according to a new opinion poll released Thursday.
more |
|
|
|
Miliband, others blast Cameron for anti-Pakistan remarks
By Murtaza Ali Shah
LONDON: Former British Foreign Secretary Labour leadership hopeful David Miliband became the highest profile British politician to condemn Prime Minister David Cameron, accusing him of being a “loudmouth” over more |
|
|
|
Pakistan terms British PM’s remarks shocking
By Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: In a ‘muted’ reaction Pakistan Thursday said the remarks made by British Prime Minister David Cameron were ‘surprising’ and ‘saddening’.
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the more |
|
|
|
Zardari, Gilani discuss air crash, other issues
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari directed the government to make the inquiry report of tragic incident of air crash at Margalla hills public so that the people know as to what really led to the tragic inci more |
|
|
|
Pakistan urged to tackle terrorists
NEW DELHI: Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, and British Prime Minister David Cameron have called on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its territory.
“No one is in any doubt, le more |
|
|
|
PML-Q senator seeks ruling against fake degree holders
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: A PML-Q senator on Thursday sought a ruling from the Senate chairman against those holding bogus educational documents. Senator Jamal Leghari, raising a point of order, said a ruling should come from more |
|
|
|
briefs...
Attique sworn in as AJK PM
By Syed Abid Hussain Shah
MIRPUR (AJK): All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference chief Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan was Thursday sworn in as the Prime Minister of Azad Jamm more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
ShareThis