Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro (MNA Pakistan Peoples Party)

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged India to hold talks with the Kashmiris, instead of using force against them. 

“I condemn the killing of Kashmiris by Indian security forces. It must be stopped and the Indian government should hold talks to find a solution to the problem,” he said while talking to a group of journalists at his residence here on Tuesday.

At least 17 Kashmiri demonstrators were killed by Indian forces in Srinagar on Monday.

The prime minister said that issues were settled through dialogue, and not by force. When asked why was India not serious about resumption of peace talks with Pakistan, he said it (India) would have to hold dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries. “War is no solution. Dialogue is the only way to improve relations.”



Accompanied by his son Abdul Qadir Gilani MPA, the prime minister said Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf had played a ‘double game’ in the name of war on terror. “Musharraf’s policy was to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds,” he said, adding that his government was committed to war against terror.

“Now no one can point finger at our commitment in this regard. The whole nation is united against terrorists and there is not a single politician in the country who can now dare speak out openly in favour of extremists,” he said.

He admitted that innocent people were also being killed in drone attacks, but said that neither Pakistan nor the world approved of these attacks.

Answering a question about the transfer of drone technology to Pakistan, Mr Gilani said: “Perhaps we may not require the US technology because we will have the indigenous one soon.”

When his attention was drawn to reports that the present set-up was going to be wrapped up, he said: “When I assumed the office of prime minister someone told me that I had three months to deliver. Later he said I am given a three-month extension. Now I am told that the time of my government is over and this is a bonus time.”

Mr Gilani said he was not a caretaker prime minister, adding that he did not see any change in the present set-up.

Democracy is the need of the hour and any attempt to roll it back will be “very dangerous”.

He rejected a perception that the graph of his party was declining. “The graph of the government’s popularity can be gauged through by-polls where the PPP performed very well,” he added.

The prime minister said the government would successfully manage to rehabilitate the flood-affected people. “We already have a success story in Malakand division. We have resettled 2.5 million internally displaced people while our critics were casting aspersions.”

He said that a council to monitor relief funds would be set up soon because the centre had received names from the provinces. He said that details of all expenditures would be placed on a website. “At the moment the biggest challenge is to provide shelter to the flood-affected people and joint efforts are required from both public and private sectors for the purpose.”

In reply to a question about flood tax, Mr Gilani said the finance ministry was yet to finalise recommendations in this regard.

He said that work on Kalabagh Dam could not be initiated because there was no consensus on it.

When asked about a special branch report about a plot to assassinate Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, the prime minister said a judicial commission had been set up to look into the matter.

Mr Gilani said he had introduced the politics of reconciliation and tolerance in the country. “There is a little difference between vengeance and accountability. During my regime, there is not a single political prisoner,” he said.
Sources