LAHORE - Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that a meeting of the coalition partners will be held in Islamabad on July 23 and 24 to devise a comprehensive strategy on terrorism and crises faced by the country. He was talking to newsmen at the Allama Iqbal International Airport upon his arrival here Monday. Gilani said Pakistan Muslim League-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and ANP Asfandyar Wali and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari would attend the meeting. Responding to a question about the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf, he maintained that Nawaz Sharif would not desert the coalition government. "Nawaz Sharif is a respectable leader for us and we have discussed expansion of cabinet, appointment of Chairmen of Standing Committees and advisors. The Pakistan Peoples Party is also in touch with the PML-N for return of its ministers to the Federal Cabinet, and Nawaz Sharif has told us that Ch Nisar will contact them in this connection," he said, adding that Musharraf had explicitly accepted the parliament's supremacy, and the results of February 18 polls. "I am not a romantic Punjabi. Musharraf has accepted the supremacy of the Parliament and February 18 elections, what else more one can ask for. Solution of the judges issue will come soon, as we have already increased the number in the Finance Bill," he added. When pressed with another question in the same context while quoting Musharraf about the government's performance, Gilani said the question should be posed to the president. He did not offer any comment. To another other question about the military action in the tribal areas, Gilani said the operation had been launched after receiving a request from both NWFP government and the local administration. "It is the government's responsibility to protect the lives of its citizens, and the army is there to assist civilian government," he said. Regarding reports of US attack on Pakistan, Gilani said Pakistan was a sovereign and independent state, which had its own policy. "No one has any right to interfere in our internal matters. The people are worried because of extremism. Incidents of terrorism tarnish the country's image and we need to have a better law and order environment. However, it must be kept in mind that 99 percent of Pakistanis are peaceful citizens, who want a peaceful and prosperous country," he said. Talking about the price-hike, and the deteriorating law and order situation, he said price-hike was an international phenomenon, and it was not Pakistan specific in any case. "However, it is the responsibility of the government to control price-hike, and measures would be taken to control prices. I know the people are facing hardships and are angry over the situation, but I assure the masses that we are planning to provide relief to the poor," he said adding that he was not going to talk about the 100-day performance of the government, as he would be in a better position to comment after receiving the progress reports of various departments. "We will hold meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee and the Federal Cabinet here on Tuesday (today) to discuss the situation," he said. Later, while addressing the Lahore Chambers Achievement Award 2008 at the Awan-i-Iqbal, Gilani asked the industrialists to call off their strike, and pledged that the government would consider their demands seriously. He said that he would ask the Federal Minister for Commerce, Trade and Textiles Ch Ahmed Mukhtar to hold a meeting with the Faisalabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry in this regard. He assured the traders and industrialists that the government would also consider their demands in the trade policy and Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting. He further said that the government would also take steps to reduce the cost of doing business and to overcome power shortage in the country. The Prime Minister further said the privatisation plan 2008 was being finalised and the government would take the trade unions into confidence before privatisation of any institution. He also said that 10 per cent of the privatisation would be given to the workers. Earlier addressing the award ceremony, the President Lahore Chambers of Commerce and Industry Mohammad Ali Mian requested the Prime Minister to provide relief to the industry. "The rate of mark up is at its highest ever point and trade deficit has gone above Rs 21 billion. The textile industry, which is backbone of export sector, is going facing severe problems it seems to get out of the international market. Apart from the high prices of electricity, gas, Patrol, edible oil, flour and other households, the law and order situation is also at its worst," he said. He also demanded that the government should start construction of Kalabagh Dam along with other dams with the consensus of all provinces on war footing basis. He also demanded the Prime Minister to stop OGRA to increase gas prices from 31 per cent to 120 per cent during the ongoing electricity shortage crisis. He was of the view that 10 per cent withholding tax would not increase the government revenue because this amount is refundable. "We consider that this action aimed to promote red-tapism on refund process to create misunderstanding between the government and the industrial sector," he added.