Islamabad: Pakistan will not compromise
on maintaining a minimum credible deterrence despite financial
constraints, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Monday.
Gilani made the remarks during a meeting with Defence
Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar. The government will also
"take all steps to meet the requirements of the defence forces
of the country", he said.
The world has recognised Pakistan`s critical role in
the war against militancy and desires to "help us in this
regard", Gilani said. Many developed countries have offered to
provide defence equipment to enable Pakistan’s security
apparatus to fight this menace, he added.
Congratulating the Defence Ministry on the induction
of new F-16 fighter jets, Gilani said this will augment the
strength of the defence capabilities of the armed forces
against "any possible security threat".
During a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi, Gilani said Pakistan is keen to enhance
regional cooperation for the socio-economic betterment of
South Asia. Long-standing issues must be resolved through
dialogue to achieve the "desired results", he said.
Referring to the recent SAARC Interior Ministers`
meeting, the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul
and Foreign Secretary-level talks with India, Gilani expressed
confidence these "interactions would pave way to regional
peace and security, ultimately leading to progress and
prosperity of the region".
"The necessity for international support to
socio-economic change in the region through reforms has been
felt even at the recent G-8 meeting in Canada," Gilani said.
The acknowledgement of Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace
and security and to root out violent extremists at the same
platform is encouraging, he added.
Qureshi briefed the Prime Minister about the Foreign
Secretary-level talks between Pakistan and India and apprised
him about his interaction with the Afghan Foreign Minister and
the Indian Home Minister.
Bureau Report
