Kashmir issue should be resolved: Gilani

Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 10:03 pm

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday (March 21) underscored the need for an early resolution of the “core issue of Kashmir” with India to allow Islamabad to concentrate on eradicating extremism and terrorism.

During a meeting with visiting US Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta, Gilani briefed him on Pakistan’s campaign against terrorism and its quest for peaceful relation with all its neighbours, particularly India and Afghanistan.

Gilani “underscored the importance of an early resolution of the core issue of Kashmir to enable Pakistan to singularly focus its attention on eradicating the menaces of extremism and terrorism,” said an official statement.

Gilani also briefed Panetta about the cooperation offered by Pakistan to India to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice.

The premier and the CIA chief discussed matters of mutual interest and the multi-faceted cooperation between Pakistan and the US, it said.

Panetta expressed satisfaction at the “existing cooperation between Pakistan and the US in various fields and commended the role of Pakistan’s armed forces and institution as the bulwark in the war against terrorism,” it said.

He also assured Gilani that the US administration would expedite the passage of the Kerry-Lugar bill for economic aid to Pakistan.

He also said that other legislations by the Congress to provide Pakistan with the required economic assistance will also be expedited to help Islamabad implement its three-pronged strategy of dialogue, development and deterrence against terrorism.

Panetta travelled to Islamabad from India on the second leg of his South Asia tour. He met top Pakistani intelligence officials shortly after his arrival here this morning.

He is scheduled to meet interior ministry chief Rehman Malik to discuss the overall security situation in Pakistan, including the war on terror and the situation in the tribal areas and the North West Frontier Province.

He is also expected to meet the chiefs of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency and the Intelligence Bureau.

Pakistani leaders are also expected to take up with Panetta the missile strikes carried out by CIA drones in the tribal areas. Islamabad has already said that the drone attacks are counter-productive as dozens of civilians have been killed by them.

The tribal areas have witnessed dozens of drone attacks since mid-2008. Several top Taliban and Al Qaida operatives have been killed in these attacks.

Pakistani leaders have expressed concerns over recent media reports that the US could expand the drone attacks from the tribal areas to the southwestern Balochistan province.

(Agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Kashmir issue should be resolved: Gilani

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