PM sees coalition intact

DUBAI - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday reached Dubai from Kuala Lumpur to discuss key issues with PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and other senior party leaders in a bid to devise agenda for the crucial meeting with PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif in the next few days. PPP Co-Chairperson and senior party leaders including Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah and Qamaruzzaman Kaira along with the UAE officials received the Prime Minister here at Dubai International Airport. Prime Minister Gillani and Asif Zardari, according to Minister for Labor and Manpower, Khurshid Shah, reached Dubai to express their grief and sorrow with the Dubai ruler over the death of his brother. However, reliable sources said that PPP leadership would also undergo prolonged consultations here to devise the strategy for the forthcoming meeting with Mian Nawaz Sharif. The sources said that once the party leadership reached understanding on the contentious issues of judges' restoration and President Pervez Musharraf's future, a final touch would be given to the talks' plan for negotiations with PML-N leadership. The negotiations, likely to take place in London, between PPP and PML-N, the two major parties in the ruling coalition, were highly important in a sense that they would not only determine the fate of the ruling coalition but also set a direction for the country's politics in the coming days. A source said that UAE leadership, which was also one of the international guarantors of the much-talked-about 'national reconciliation' along with US, UK and Saudi Arabia, was also like to sound a piece of advice to PPP on future of Pakistan's ruling set up. He said that the UAE leaders were likely to urge the PPP leaders to show flexibility on vital issues of judges' restoration and the President and to avoid conflict. The source said that the same word of caution was also likely to be sent to PML-N leaders by the UAE leadership that wanted end to Pakistan's current political crisis as soon as possible because of years' old friendly ties between the two brotherly Muslim states. Agencies add: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday that the government was taking all its partners along and there were no differences within the ruling alliance. He was briefly talking to reporters here after a meeting with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. The overall political situation in Pakistan also came under discussion during the meeting. Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Minister for Labour and Manpower, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Qamar Zaman Kaira were also present at the meeting. Responding to a question, Gilani said that Parliament would decide about the impeachment of the President. On inflation, he said that Pakistan was also facing the impact of rising prices of crude oil and food commodities in the international market. The government, he added, was following an effective strategy to tackle inflation and provide maximum relief to the common man. The Prime Minister, who arrived in Dubai on Wednesday after attending D-8 Summit in Malaysia, was due to meet Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, later in the evening. Earliler talking to Malaysian and foreign media persons in Kuala Lumpur, Gilani said that Pakistan wants good relations with all its neighbours including India and Afghanistan. He said it is better that we all fight against terrorism rather than blaming each other. He said Pakistan desires peace and stability in Afghanistan as a stable Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan. "If someone is blaming Pakistan it will not serve the cause," he added. He referred to the statement of the United States that it does not see any role of Pakistan in the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul. He urged the international community to lend its support in keeping peace and stability in Afghanistan, saying it will lead to peace in the world at large. Prime Minister apprised the media of government's three-pronged strategy to fight terrorism and extremism that includes dialogue with non-militants and those who lay down their arms, focus on development and uplift of tribal areas. He said force will be used as a last resort when the tribes and non-militants will violate their agreements with the government. The focus is on development in tribal areas and Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) is part of that effort, he added. He was of the view that terror could not be eradicated without addressing its root causes such as poverty, hunger and joblessness. To a question, Prime Minister said no military operation was going on in the areas bordering Afghanistan as only Frontier Constabulary and police were being used to maintain law and order. He said US President Bush during his last meeting with him in Sharm el-Sheikh appreciated the strategy of countering militancy in tribal areas. Prime Minister Gilani said that at the end of July he would hold talks with President Bush focusing on enhanced bilateral trade and commercial ties. Pakistan and United States have multi-faceted relations and the next meeting will strengthen economic cooperation, he added He rejected the impression that the government did not achieve much during its first 100 days. The Prime Minister will soon address the nation to apprise it of the achievements the government has made in its 100 days. He said the government would not put blame on the previous government about the economic situation. "We have accepted the challenge and we will put the economy on the right track," he added. For this purpose, he said we have to control law and order. He said if law and order situation is good, the economy will certainly improve. He said more incentives would be provided to the foreign investors in Pakistan. To a question about the issue of deposed judges, he said the government has inherited the problem of judges and the manifesto of PPP and Benazir Bhutto made the pledge to restore the judges. PPP was also part of the long march taken out for revival of judiciary, he recalled. He said the law and order situation was normal when the PPP assumed power but then two incidents in Islamabad and Karachi occurred. "We are tackling the situation. The government facilitated and managed a peaceful long march," he said adding the conference at Lal Masjid in Islamabad was also managed properly until a suicide bomber carried out an attack on policemen deployed there. He said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto raised this issue again and again and it was our government that released the deposed judges and paid their salaries. Gilani said procedure and technicalities were a problem in the way of restoration of judges and modalities were being laid down to settle things. The judges will be restored through a constitutional package, which will be moved in the parliament after consensus among the coalition partners, he added. To a question regarding impeachment of President, he said the issue would be moved in the parliament after the parties reach a consensus on it. "The parliament has the right to take decision on it." He denied any problems in the ruling alliance, saying PML-N and PPP were running coalition governments in the centre and Punjab. He said the coalition is intact despite the fact that both parties have separate manifestos and policies. To a question about reservations of ANP on some matters, Prime Minister said there is no serious problem among the allies.

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