Three-prong strategy for tribal areas being adhered: Gilani

LAHORE : Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that government is adhering to three-prong strategy i.e. political dialogue, development, and force, to calm down unrest in tribal areas. Addressing a press conference at State Guest House here Sunday evening, the Premier said that government would ensure its writ in tribal areas at all cost.
Gilani said the foreigners especially from Central Asian states were harbouring in tribal belt and were carrying out terror activities in Pakistan.
To a question, the Prime Minister also ruled out reports of any foreign pressure with regard to operation in tribal areas. “Our first priority is to settle down the tribal issue through political dialogue; by initiating massive development in these areas and the last option is the use of force to ensure government’s writ, and we stick to this policy,” he added.
Gilani said provincial government had struck a peace deal with tribal chieftains three months ago but the latter violated the agreement by resorting to hanging the people publicly, kidnapping the minority people and setting ablaze girls schools.
“No government can afford a parallel government and we will never compromise country’s sovereignty, dignity and self-respect,” he added.
He said that tribal operation is a provincial matter for which the respective government can take any initiative to maintain law and order, and it can also seek help in this regard from the law enforcement agencies as well as the federal government.
The Prime Minister said that government and the people of Pakistan wanted peace and tranquility in the country. He emphasized upon the media and other relevant quarters to create public awareness through seminars, discussions and editorials about the menace of terrorism.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Pakistan would not accept any Kashmir solution without involvement of the Kashmiris.
Dearness has now become a global issue because oil and edibles’ prices are rocketing sky high throughout the world and this factor created numerous crises for all the countries except the oil-rich states. “Luckily, Pakistan has vital sector of agriculture and we will bring white and green revolutions in the country,” he vowed.
Gilani said that government was bearing Rs 1.2 billion per day subsidy to the masses, he added.
To a question, he said the government still wanted the investigation of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination from an independent agency so that nobody could point finger at the government that it had given the findings on its own.