MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday that Pakistan would not accept any external pressure and that it would decide about the military operation in North Waziristan keeping in view its requirements, resources and priorities.
Talking to journalists at the Multan airport, Qureshi said the whole world had acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifice in the war on terror and it was making sincere efforts. “Our people and even shrines are being targeted by terrorists,” he said.
On the strategic dialogue, the foreign minister said the US administration had decided to provide five-year security assistance to Pakistan to fulfill its defence requirements. On civil nuclear assistance, he said, “energy is our requirement and we have conveyed our desire of a civil nuclear agreement. There should be no discrimination on the civil nuclear programme.”
He said that Kashmiri people were protesting against Indian atrocities and the world had admitted that the Kashmir movement was indigenous. He said Pakistan wished to normalise relations with India, but Kashmiri people should be given due respect in the process leading to the solution of the issue.
Qureshi said Pakistan, being a neighbouring country, was ready to help the Afghan government for peace in Afghanistan if it sought Pakistan’s help. He said groups fighting against each others in Afghanistan were locals with different ethnic backgrounds and ideologies.
“If the groups are willing to hold talks for peace, Pakistan is ready to help the process leading to peace and prosperity in Afghanistan,” he added. He said the UK had also wanted strategic dialogue with Pakistan. He said that Pakistan also gave importance to its relations with Russia.
About the reunification of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) factions, Qureshi said that it was their internal matter and might be their political need, adding that the PPP had no concern with it. To a question about tax collection from elite class, Qureshi said the country’s tax to GDP ratio was low as compared to other countries of the region.
He said tax collection was vital for self-sufficiency and the country was relying on employed taxation and indirect taxes. The foreign minister also suggested a debate on tax collection in parliament, adding that there was a need to reform the tax system to achieve self-reliance.
