Gilani says recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on NATO supplies to be followed

Gilani says recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on NATO supplies to be followed

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Thursday, said that recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) would be implemented in letter and spirit.

Members of Parliament have approved a list of 14 proposals aimed at revamping relations with the United States. This list includes a ban on American drone strikes or any other incursion into Pakistani territory. And, it would bar arms or munitions from NATO
convoys that carry supplies through Pakistan for Western forces in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed himself in the following manner while commenting on the issue, "Today’s resolution will enrich your respect and dignity. I assure you that we will get these enforced in letter and spirit."

On the other hand, a spokeswoman from the United States State Department, Victoria Nuland, made the following comments on the matter: "We respect the seriousness with which parliament’s review of U.S.-Pakistan relations has been conducted. We seek a relationship
with Pakistan that is enduring, strategic, and more clearly defined. We look forward to discussing these policy recommendations with the government of Pakistan and continuing to engage with it on our shared interests."

Gilani thanked the PCNS head, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, and other committee members for their hard work and commitment, observing that these recommendations will be the guiding framework for the government. He said that a government is weak without support
of parliament. The premier said that it is for the first time in the history of Pakistan that foreign policy has been discussed in parliament.

Referring to his meeting with US President Barack Obama, Gilani said that he had told him that Pakistan would never compromise on its sovereignty. The PM said several key security paradigms had been re-visited during the present government’s tenure.

He noted the taking back of Shamsi Airbase from the US following the NATO attack on Pakistani border posts. He said that a sovereign, independent and autonomous Afghanistan was in best national interest of Pakistan.

About 30 percent of supplies used by NATO and U.S. troops in landlocked Afghanistan are transported through Pakistan. Washington also needs Islamabad’s cooperation to negotiate an end to the Afghan war because many insurgent leaders are based on Pakistani
soil.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=18939

Posted by Rabiya Maqbool on Apr 13 2012. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry