Islamabad to seek N-reactor from US

To a query on conditions obtaining in tribal areas, he said dialogue was under way between the government and the tribes. “It’s the result of our initiative that tribesmen have formed their own armies to expel foreign militants from their areas,” he claimed. He said the tribes had also pronounced that they would not give refuge to any foreigner and, if found in any house, it would be burnt. He said it was for the first time that the tribesmen were also supporting the Army.

He said that it was the upper-most duty of the government to establish the writ of law, maintain peace and safeguard the Constitution. He said that the parliamentarians would soon be given an in-camera briefing on operation in tribal areas.

Answering a question on removal of 17th Amendment from the Constitution, he said that a committee would be constituted after return of the Speaker of National Assembly from the USA to decide what parts of this constitutional amendment should be removed or maintained.

He told the journalists that the government has announced the increase in support price of the wheat to boost its production. “Instead of spending Rs 60 billion on wheat import, we’d better give out Rs 10 billion to our own growers to improve national production,” he added. He said some elements attempted to negatively portray the support price issue.

To another query, he said Pakistan wanted peace in the region. “Some elements are conspiring to disrupt peace of this region and misinterpreting Islam before the West,” he said and added: “Islam teaches peace and we have to promote the real message of Islam in the world.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gilani declared on Friday Pakistan would also demand USA to make a civil nuclear agreement with it on pattern of Indo-US accord.