LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday welcomed the remarks of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that “there is no threat to the system.”
“The chief justice has said that the impression of a clash between the government and the judiciary must be dispelled. He has also said that the system faces no threat,” Gilani said. “We honour his (the chief justice’s) opinion,” said premier Gilani while speaking to journalists after addressing the 2nd Convocation at the King Edward Medical University in Lahore.
Asked about ongoing militancy in the country, Gilani said the government would take action wherever its writ was challenged. “We have a commitment and the will to fight terrorism and extremism,” he added.
Quizzed on foreign policy issues, he said, “Pakistan wants cordial relations with all its neighbours whether it is India or Afghanistan.” He added that Islamabad wanted to resolve all bilateral issues through dialogue, which was the way forward.
At recent summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in Bhutan, Prime Minister Gilani said his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh agreed to resolve all issues between Pakistan and India, including Kashmir, Sir Creek, water and Siachin, through dialogue.
Responding to a question, the premier said he has directed the minister for inter-provincial coordination to settle the water dispute between Punjab and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) in an amicable manner.
Gilani also refuted a media report, saying that he had never uttered any statement in the National Assembly that MNA Jamshaid Dasti should not be arrested. However, some other member on a point of order had expressed the resolve that they would not let it happen, Gilani said.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 13th, 2010.
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