By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said that premier intelligence agencies of the United States and Pakistan had been working closely to untangle the knots of the Mumbai carnage mystery and recently the Inter-Services Intelligence had provided a detailed response to questions and issues raised by US investigators on behalf of their Indian counterparts.
Our ISI has given its feedback, which has been forwarded to India, he told reporters after addressing a seminar on Democracy in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges.
He gave no details of the contents of the dossier or the response formulated by a committee, but said Pakistan would cooperate if more information was required. He said India had provided a 52-page dossier to the CIA which was passed on to Pakistan. The dossier was also handed over directly by India to Pakistan.
Mr Gilani said Pakistan was ready to share information sharing with the CIA.
In his address at the seminar, Mr Gilani rejected an impression that he had differences with President Asif Ali Zardari. He said that National Security Adviser Mehmud Ali Durrani had been removed by the president on his advice.
The president knows the rules of business, why would he bypass me, he wondered, saying the action had been taken in the interest of the country and for good governance.
The prime minister regretted the Indian decision to freeze the composite dialogue process with Pakistan. The situation on our eastern borders has once again become very fragile.
Our quest for enhancing peace and security in South Asia remains sincere and steadfast. In the interest of peace and progress in South Asia, our democratic government has done a lot in terms of normalisation of relations between Pakistan and India, he remarked.Mr Gilani said Pakistan had demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the dialogue process with India and the sustained efforts had contributed to an appreciable improvement in the atmospherics between the two countries.
He was of the view that the Indian blame game, media vilification campaign and war mongering in the wake of Mumbai attacks against Pakistan without any concrete evidence had brought the two countries to square one in terms of confidence-building measures.
This was despite the fact that Pakistan was among the first countries to condemn the Mumbai attacks and had taken many steps, including closing down of offices of Jamaatud Dawa, arrest of its leaders and freezing of their assets, he added.
We had also extended our full cooperation to the government of India and offered joint investigation into the incident and a joint commission under NSAs of the two countries. The Indian government has unfortunately refused to accept our proposals. The world must not let tensions between India and Pakistan to escalate.
Mr Gilani said that improved relations with India could provide an opportunity for the two countries to work for resolution of all issues, particularly the Kashmir dispute.
The Kashmir issue must be resolved in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The international community can help in this regard by encouraging both parties to stay the course and demonstrate courage, determination and sincerity.
The prime minister said that although Pakistan was currently passing through a difficult phase, it had the potential to become a regional hub for trade and economic activities.
We need our friends help to overcome our present but temporary difficulties and realise that potential. The people of Pakistan and of this region deserve a better future. To this end, you will find the democratic government in Pakistan fully committed and dedicated, he remarked.
Members of the British Parliament said in their speeches that justice and respect for basic human rights could ensure a better future for the globe.
Voicing concern over brutalities and atrocities being committed by
Israeli forces in Gaza, Jim Devine said he supported the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine.
Israel should withdraw from Gaza and a justified solution is a must for a long-term peace in the Middle East, he asserted.
Mark Fisher observed that Pakistan was in the eye of an international storm. Pakistan needs to adopt a prudent policy to deal with the issue.
MP James McGovern said poverty and illiteracy were main causes of terrorism and Britain had assisted Pakistan in eradicating them.
Mohammad Sarwar, the first Muslim British MP, said the credit of democratic process in Pakistan went to people who exercised their right of franchise despite terror threats. Let me confess that had this case been in Britain, people would have stayed away. Britain was yet to achieve ideal democracy as despite having a 250-year democratic process, we are yet to ensure adequate representation of women and minorities in parliament, he said.
Ambassador Javed Malik, the organiser of the event, said the government had introduced a policy of reconciliation with all political forces to strengthen the democratic process.
PML-Ns secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and PPP secretary general Jehangir Badr also spoke on the occasion.
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Sorry, just thought of them in little ruber boats trying to make the distance.
. The fact of the matter is situation isnt that of 71 which Indians likes to brag about, When it comes down to India, we are all united and this is just an example of the unity that we will show once India decides to cross the line.
