Gilani and Asif visit ISI headquarters

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan was fully alive to its defence and security needs and stressed the need for more coordinated and intensive efforts on part of all security agencies to combat the elements creating in the country.

Prime Minister Gilani expressed these views during his interaction with the top officials of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) at its headquarters where he along with Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Federal Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Advisor to PM on Interior Rehman Malik and other senior government functionaries were briefed on the working of the sensitive agency with special reference to the role of Pakistan in the international war on terror and the repercussion being faced by the country as a result of its role as frontline state in war on terror.

On arrival at ISI Headquarters Premier Gilani and other political leaders were received by the Director General ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Taj and other high-ranking officers of the agency.

Premier and his political team was given detailed briefing on the role of the agency in the ongoing war on terror, the negotiations with militants in tribal areas and in combating miscreants creating unrest in the country.

After the briefing, which lasted about three hours, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani appreciated the role being played by the officials of the sensitive agency to counter the attempts to destabilize the country and hoped that they would continue playing their role in this connection and would frustrate all designs aimed at creating disruptive activities in the country.

Premier Gilani said that Pakistan would not allow any elements, either from within or without, to disrupt public law and order as such disruptive activities directly effect the political and economic atmosphere in the country.

Sources privy to the deliberations of the meeting disclosed that Gilani also said that being the key player in war on terror, Pakistan was facing the direct threat from the terrorists operating in the region and in a way Pakistan was the direct victim of this war.

He said that Pakistan had paid a very heavy price for it and even the country's top political leader and icon of democracy in Pakistan Benazir Bhutto was killed in a terrorist attack in Rawalpindi last year.

Prime Minister said that this war could not be won with the use of force alone and his government had devised multi-pronged strategy to counter it and the ongoing dialogue process with militants in tribal areas was part of their strategy.

Prime Minister once again reiterated that government was fully alive to needs and requirements of the armed forces and secret agencies and they would be equipped with the latest equipment so that the country's defence could be made impeccable.

Sources informed TheNation that Prime Minister welcomed the decision of army to reduce the role of the agency in national politics and hoped that it would further improve its professional skills and would effectively counter the threats to the country from enemies from within and outside the country.

These sources further informed that during the meeting Prime Minister stressed the need of more cooperation and coordination between the secret agencies and other law enforcement authorities to effectively thwart the saboteurs' activities across the country.