 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Osama, Zawahiri not in tribal areas: PM |
|
|
|
Monday, May 28, 2007
Says no Taliban spring offensive due to Pak measures
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday said that the senior al-Qaeda leadership, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri, were not hiding in Pakistan’s tribal belt along its border with Afghanistan.
“We have no tangible evidence to corroborate,” the prime minister said in an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s Late Edition when asked about a recent report by the US intelligence claiming that senior al-Qaeda leadership, including Osma bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri, were hiding along the Pak-Afghan border.
Shaukat Aziz said, “We cannot respond to general statements, if there is tangible evidence please tell us. We believe that we do not have these people in our territory.”
He said, “They (the senior al-Qaeda leadership) much rather be in a territory that is totally free for everybody. In Pakistan’s case with the fencing, with the troops and other paramilitary forces, they have no incentive to be here.”
The prime minister said Pakistan has over three million Afghan refugees in its camps that were serving as “safe havens for elements crossing back and forth.” He said it was the reason that Pakistan had to fence sections of the 1,700-mile-long porous border with Afghanistan and it has also increased number of troops to prevent such movement. “We have caught more terrorists than anybody else,” he said and added the government and people of Pakistan are committed to opposing terrorism in all its forms, despite paying a huge price.
“The solution to the Afghan situation lies in Afghanistan that battle has to be won in Afghanistan,” he added.
The prime minister said Pakistan was working with the United States and the rest of the world to reduce terrorism. He said the battle in Afghanistan should focus on winning the hearts and minds of its people. “This is an indigenous movement, supported by many elements, but the battle has to be won in Afghanistan,” he stressed.
He said the Afghan people need better facilities, employment and measures need to be taken to end the drug trade while the nexus between drug money and terrorism also needs to be addressed. Shaukat Aziz said fighting terrorism was also in Pakistan’s national interest, which has deployed over 80,000 troops and established a string of border posts to check movement.
“We engage and confront every day and there are casualties on both sides and that is why the Spring Offensive did not occur because Pakistan took measures.”
He said both the Pakistani and the Afghan forces in Afghanistan need to work together. “We have to make sure (and) understand that a blame game will not help,” he added.
He said the cooperation with the US, Nato and the allied troops in Afghanistan and the Pakistani forces was very intense and we have been able to contain the situation. The prime minister said there was no evidence of spring offensive due to increased patrolling and policing by the Pakistan side and more activity on the Afghan side. He said Pakistan can influence the activity only if there is a cross-border movement. He pointed out reduction in activity across the border as the country has deployed more troops and put up fences in selective areas to prevent movement of unnecessary people who can cause security concerns on either side.
About the domestic scene, the prime minister said the matter regarding Justice Iftikhar Chuadhry was sub judice and whatever the government did was in line with the Constitution and the law of the country. He said the matter was before the Supreme Judicial Council and before the Supreme Court and they would give their judgement, whenever they complete their deliberations.
He said the government believes in an independent judiciary and has always promoted it as such. He said that with its economy gaining strength, Pakistan was as stable as ever. However, there was a reaction from the legal community as the people, the media and the parliament were free to express their views as it was part of an emerging democracy.
The prime minister said the government encouraged presentation of healthy point of view and stated that country’s stock market had touched the highest level in the past two weeks. He pointed out that the foreign and domestic investments were currently at their highest level. He said the government allows people to disagree with it and termed this “a healthy sign of a tolerant society”.
About the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s return to the country, he said several legal cases are pending against her. She could not participate in the elections because of these cases. “Other leaders who are presently residing abroad should consult their legal advisers about their plans to return to Pakistan,” he said. However, their parties are actively participating in the election.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
CJ says good governance being compromised
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that good governance is being compromised as it is believed that the administration of justice is the sole duty of courts or the legal fratern more |
|
|
Hakimullah dies of wounds in Multan?
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Reports about the death of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud once again started circulating on Tuesday and this time it was being reported that the militant commander had succumb more |
|
|
MNAs seek solution to Sindh-Punjab water rift
ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday urged for the resolution of the water crisis between Punjab and Sindh, failing which would lead to serious repercussions for the country.
Yousuf Tal more |
|
|
Good governance hinges on change in national behaviour: PM
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that change in the collective behaviour of the nation is necessary for the promotion of good governance. He said that his government believed in streng more |
|
|
NIC made mandatory to get sugar from USC outlets
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Tuesday made it mandatory to produce national identity cards to get a pack of 2kg sugar from the USC outlets.
The ECC met here unde more |
|
|
|
Three provinces to hold LG polls in four months
By Hanif Khalid & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting here on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr decided that the chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan would hold local government elections in four months.
President Asif Al more |
|
|
|
Senators condemn attack on Sh Rashid
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Tuesday strongly condemned the murder attempt on Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members advised Sheikh Rashid to stop more |
|
|
|
PIA obliges religiously; latest being religious minister
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), facing a mind-boggling loss of about Rs70billion, has quietly upgraded two seats of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi and his wife fr more |
|
|
|
A brigadier without brigade has a history of thrashing
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The basher-brigadier of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted his professor colleague late Thursday, has a long list of such incidents on his credit as his resume is sprin more |
|
|
|
PAC settles drought money misuse
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: A special committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probing misuse of drought funds worth million of rupees on Tuesday conveniently settled majority of charges against deputy auditor general o more |
|
|
|
NA-55 by-polls
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has urged all the political parties, including the PML-N, to withdraw from the NA-55 by-polls in favour of Sheikh Rashid.
“ more |
|
|
|
Point scoring be avoided in Rashid attack case: Shahbaz
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the Rawalpindi incident on Monday had grieved every Pakistani.
He said a joint investigation team comprising federal and provincial agencies including I more |
|
|
|
SC moved against delay in judges’ appointment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was moved on Tuesday against the government’s delay in the appointment of judges in the apex court and was prayed for directing the government to perform its constitutional duty by more |
|
|
|
‘74 killed in Bajaur operation’
By Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR: Security forces claimed to have killed 74 militants and injured 54 others and wrested the strategically important hilltops and areas from the insurgents during the weeklong military operation in the Mamon more |
|
|
|
Afghan unrest kills US, French soldiers
KABUL: A US and French soldiers were killed in attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said.
The US service member was killed in an improvised bomb blast in southern Afghanis more |
|
|
|
Army called in for today’s Lakki by-election
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The government has requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Army to augment the police and civil security forces for conducting the NWFP Assembly by-election on PF-75 Lakki Marwat for which polling more |
|
|
|
Meeting discusses political issues
ISLAMABAD: A meeting held here at the presidency on Tuesday and presided over jointly by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani discussed political and development issues in the N more |
|
|
|
Rashid accuses PML-N of promoting criminal culture
ISLAMABAD: Head of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, on Tuesday criticised the PML-N-led Punjab government for promoting criminal culture in Rawalpindi and the province.
Talking to a private TV channel more |
|
|
|
Briefs...
Over 64 dead in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: At least 24 bodies have been recovered and 40 other people are feared dead after avalanches swept vehicles into a ravine and trapped cars in a mountain pass overn more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
