Islamabad : Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani says intelligence sharing was involved in United States operation to kill Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a remote hilly area of Abbotabad early Monday.
Pakistan will not allow use of its soil for terrorism against any other country, Gilani said in interviews to a French magazine Politique Internationale and a news agency. Pakistan suffered thousands of lives of soldiers, civilians, women, children in fight against terrorism.
On killing of Osama Bin Laden, he said he does not have minute details of the incident. Intelligence sharing was involved in the operation, he added. Gilani said it was an embarrassment for the whole world that Osama could not be captured earlier despite latest technology.
He said Pakistan has intelligence sharing agreement with United States and other countries. “We have good relations and multi-dimensional cooperation with US in health, education, defence and culture.”
He said US Secretary of State Ms Hillary Clinton will visit Pakistan later this month and President Asif Ali Zardari is also due in Washington in coming weeks. High level officials visit each others’ countries on regular basis. Pak, US ties US are not hostage to a single incident and they have to moveforward, he observed.
On his official visit to France starting May 3, he said France was important member of NATO, G-8 & P-5. Pakistan and France will upgrade their bilateral relations and during his visit both sides will sign an agreement to increase economic and trade cooperation.
On power sharing agreement with PML-Q, he said PML-Q was always in touch with the government and supported in his unanimous election as Prime Minister. Following policy of reconciliation, he said “weare friendly with all political parties, nobody was victimized. At present there is no political prisoner in the country.”
“We wanted a more stable government to carry out economic reforms. We were criticized by the West on slow pace of economic reforms. Now we will try to implement Reformed General Sales Tax RGST.”
Gilani said two most important issues were militancy, extremism and economic difficulties. When writ of government is challenged and suicide attacks take place, there is flight of capital. “We have to create conducive environment for investors.”
He said “biggest success of his government was to unite whole nation in fight against militancy. Successful military operations were carried out in Swat, Malakand, South Waziristan with support of masses. We successfully isolated militants from local tribesmen. We are moving in right direction.” PPI
