NEW YORK : Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has urged the U.S. to increase its economic and defence assistance to help strengthen his newly elected democratic government. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he also said he is willing to work with President Pervez Musharraf, but he would let his party decide whether to try to force the president from office.
“I have no problem working with him (Musharraf), but will go by the party’s decision,” the prime minister added.
Gilani said further U.S. assistance “will help deliver a democracy dividend to the people” after Pakistan held landmark elections for a new parliament in February.
Further aid, he added, is needed to help provide political and economic stability as the nation seeks to fight terrorism, but did not specify the amount. He made his case for further aid during a recent meeting in the Middle East with President George W. Bush, according to the newspaper.
Gilani said the use of military means alone to try to stamp out militancy from Pakistan’s hinterlands would never bring peace. “We need to review our strategy to deal with the situation in the tribal region,” he said.
The new government has taken a different tack in the battle against terrorism than that followed by Mr. Musharraf, The Wall Street Journal noted, referring to government’s negotiations with militants and exchanging prisoners.
Gilani said the government is talking only to the tribesmen who renounce violence and surrender their weapons. Pakistani forces would remain deployed along the border, he said, while emphasizing the need to increase the strength of Afghan troops on the Afghan side of the border, saying there is an inadequate force to protect against border crossings.
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