Violations prompted military action: Gilani
Monday, June 30, 2008
By Zubair Azam
LAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said the NWFP government had launched the military operation after militants violated the peace deal, stressing the government still believed in peaceful solution of issues.
Addressing a press conference at the State Guest house here, he said involvement of a foreign hand in aggravating the law and order situation in the tribal areas could not be ruled out. Illegal activities in the tribal areas are primarily being carried out by foreigners, most of whom have come from the Central Asian states, he added.He also said the Dr AQ Khan issue has been closed, saying nobody, not even the IAEA, had demanded access to the nuclear scientist.
The prime minister said maintaining law and order is a provincial subject and the NWFP government was conducting the military operation. He said the government had initiated a dialogue process with the tribal elders and made peace agreements with tribes which had opted to lay down weapons.
Both sides must adhere to the agreement and if there is a violation, the provincial government and law-enforcing agencies are left with no other option but to take action against the violators, he added.
He said public executions, kidnapping of minorities, razing of girls schools and bombing barber shops were acts that were tantamount to establishing a state-within-a-state and it was not acceptable to the government.
These things resulted in an operation in areas where peace agreements have been violated, he added. To another question about the governments intentions to extend the operation, he explained the immediate problem was in Fata, Swat and adjacent areas of Peshawar. He said if the situation deteriorated elsewhere as a reaction, the NWFP government had the right to requisition the Army or the FC for its help.
He said it was the duty of the provincial government to maintain law and order, besides protecting the life and property of citizens. He said the coalition partners had been briefed on the situation by the chief of Army staff.
The coalition partners have been taken into confidence over the operation, he added.He stressed that the government would not compromise on Pakistans dignity, sovereignty and self-respect.
Explaining the three-pronged strategy of the government, Gilani said the first option was dialogue, the second was to address the root cause of the menace and the third was to launch development projects.
In this regard, we want to provide health and education facilities in the region and build the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones, he added. He said the use of force was the last option, adding, We shall not exercise it.
He said the government wanted to create awareness among the masses and asked the media to conduct public polls to ascertain peoples wishes. You should write editorials and hold seminars to inform the people about development projects, he said.
He said incidents like torching of PTDC hotel had had damaged the tourism industry in the country. About inflation and the governments decision to further raise fuel prices, he said the current surge in prices was a global phenomenon. He said the government was giving a daily subsidy of Rs1.2 billion, which had been termed bad management by the countrys international donors.
Our donors ask us why we have not passed on the effect to the consumers when governments in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India have done so, he added. Maintaining that Pakistan was fortunate to have a rich agriculture sector, the premier announced that the government would focus more on this sector.
The prime minister said he would take the nation into confidence after the completion of 100 days in office of the PPP led coalition government. Punjab Senior Minister Raja Riaz, PPP leader Qasim Zia and the partys Lahore chapter president Aziz Chan were also present on the occasion.
Violations prompted military action: Gilani
