PM renews talks offer to militants

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Thursday reaffirmed his commitment to establish the writ of the government in the terror-hit tribal areas of the country come what may and renewed his offer of dialogue to those militants who are ready to lay down arms.
The Prime Minister expressed this commitment during his meeting with a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) led by its President Arif Nizami on Thursday.
Prime Minister Gilani said the government was committed to stamp out the cancer of terrorism. He warned that those who challenged the governments writ would be strictly deal with. He said that the government was working on a three-pronged strategy of dialogue, deterrence and development to counter terrorism.
We tried to resolve these difficult issues with our limited resources and our actions have started yielding results and making a positive impact, he added.
The Prime Minister said the issue of terrorism was a priority on the governments agenda. Cancer of terrorism is spreading but we have the will and ability to nip this cancer in the bud.
Gilani said the country was facing external and internal threats and the PPP government inherited a fragile situation fraught with challenges of terrorism, economic weakness, political instability and energy crunch. He described the strategy undertaken by the government to rehabilitate people living in troubled areas and implement steps for their economic and social progress.
He urged media to support the government in its fight against terrorism and expressed his determination to speedily combat the threat.
He said the government was striving to promote democratic culture, make the parliament supreme and restore the real spirit of the 1973 constitution.
Highlighting the priorities of his government, Gilani said the government was making strenuous efforts to provide equal job opportunities, mitigate economic difficulties, create a favourable atmosphere for foreign investment.
He said judges were restored and satisfactory arrangements are being put in place to end load shedding by the end of this year.
The government launched Benazir Income Support Programme and started housing schemes for low-income groups and measures were taken to restore the social rights of women, he added. The Prime Minister said the government adopted a dignified foreign policy and the international community recognizes the role of Pakistan in the war against terror and efforts of the country are more substantive than any other country in the world. We stand by our principled stand on the Kashmir issue. We faced the situation in the aftermath of Mumbai attacks with patience and civility and emerged successful, he added.
The Prime Minister said he wanted to categorically make it clear to the world that Pakistan was a peaceful country, desiring friendly relations with all countries, especially with neighbours.
But this wish of ours should not be seen as weakness. Our people and our armed forces are ever prepared and watchful and ready to spill their blood to keep the green flag high and protect the countrys dignity. He said the nation was standing at a critical and very important turn of history.
He expressed satisfaction that despite the plethora of challenges, the nation was united and democratic institutions and forces were flourishing and the spirit of reconciliation, tolerance and patience was strengthening.
In a short period of one year, we have crossed many important milestones but we have to go a long way in this journey. He assured the CPNE delegation of the governments unshakable and strong belief in the freedom of media.
In every difficulty and trial, we stood with the media; relations between us (the government and the media) are proud part of the national history, he said referring to relations of government and media.
The Prime Minister called on the media to lay down a code of conduct for a process of its own accountability. The media should not make heroes out of terrorists and anti-social elements and should not carry events in print and electronic media which make people disappointed and distressed. He said media should express its views without any fear but at the same time give priority to the wider national interests and take upon itself the protection of ideological and geographical frontiers of the country.
The Prime Minister later responding to the queries of CPNE delegation members said the PPP believed in the policy of reconciliation and political stability so that the challenges of law and order and economic problems faced by the country are tackled effectively.
He said the recent message of reconciliation sent to PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif was also indicative of the fact that the government was serious on Charter of Democracy. The Prime Minister further said that during the current session of the National Assembly, the Speaker would be empowered to initiate the process for constitution of a committee on the subject.
He said the President has also written a letter to him for the implementation of CoD, adding, We are serious and want to move forward, as we believe in the 1973 Constitution. To a question about wheat support price, the Prime Minister said the present government raised the wheat support price to Rs 950 per 40 kg from Rs 650 per 40 kg and as the country expects a bumper wheat crop this year, the government will ensure that the farmer gets maximum benefit of the price.
Similarly, he said, a meeting of the Chief Ministers will be called to evolve a strategy about the rice crop and its price.
To a question about the allocation of government advertisements for the television channels, the Prime Minister said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would work out a policy in this respect. About Swat peace deal, the Prime Minister said it was a collective wisdom including of the provincial government and was endorsed by all the stakeholders at national level.
He said the deal was intact and has not ended, adding, however, the signing of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulations by the President was bracketed with the restoration of peace in the area.
The Prime Minister said he did not see any problem of ego in the signing of regulation and as and when peace is restored then the President will sign it. He said the country was facing internal and external challenges, with terrorism being a major internal challenge, which was impacting all the four provinces.
The Prime Minister said after a recent terrorist attack in Chakwal, he had called a meeting of chief ministers, chief secretaries and all concerned authorities during which formulation of a comprehensive national policy was discussed. He said once the report about the proposed national policy is finalized, it will be discussed in the parliament and will also be shared with the media. The Prime Minister said the training of suicide bombing to youngsters was a serious threat to the country and the civil society, media and all the political forces will be taken on board to deal with the situation.
He said the use of drug money for terrorism financing in the areas bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan was also a problem, which has to be dealt with strictly. Pakistan has the will and ability to tackle terrorists but its law enforcing personnel lack capacity which need to be strengthened and enhanced with the provision of specialized training and sophisticated weapons, he said.
We have to think about the widows and families of our police and law-enforcing personnel, who are giving their lives in this war. We have to raise their salaries as well.
The Prime Minister said media and civil society also have to play their role in preparing the masses against the terrorist elements, which are projecting a wrong image of Islam by launching suicide attacks against fellow Muslims.
We will also take the religious scholars on board in our endeavours against terrorism.
To a question, the Prime Minister said, war against terrorism was not a conventional warfare. It is a guerilla war, not a Charlie Wilson war that we are fighting. NATO forces in Afghanistan have neither been successful in fighting the terror war during the past five years, Prime Minister Gilani said.
He said that Pakistan Army was one of the most efficient armies in the world, and there was a need to avoid spreading despondency with regard to the institutions of the country. The Prime Minister said the whole world is now focusing Pakistan, which is a front-line state in this war, and its peace, stability and prosperity is in the interest of the world.
Besides, the delegation of CPNE, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister of State for Information Sumsam Bukhari and senior officials of Information Ministry were also present.