Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Saturday said reservations of various parties on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee for National Security (PCNS) would be removed on the new terms of engagement with the United States.
The prime minister was talking to reporters the Chaklala airbase before his departure for China to participate in the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
Gilani reiterated that only parliament would decide about the country’s foreign policy and its future contour of relations with the United States and the NATO.
He pointed out that soon after the Salala checkpost incident, the government acted swiftly and closed down the NATO supplies and got the Shamsi airbase vacated from the US. He said the parliamentary committee on national security unanimously chalked out recommendations for new terms of engagement with the US and NATO and expressed the confidence that the parliament would pass them with consensus.
Asked about the energy crisis, the prime minister said he had convened an energy conference to be held in Lahore on the 9th of next month. He said the holding of this conference in Lahore would give a message to the people that the government was serious to resolve the issue.
During his two day stay, the PM will address the opening session of the Boao Forum which will be attended by political, business and academic leaders from across the globe. Gilani said Boao forum provided an important platform for better economic cooperation with the regional countries.
He will also meet with chief executives and heads of different financial institutions and apprise them about the potential that Pakistan offers for investment.
On the sidelines of the Boao forum, the prime minister will meet the Vice Premier of China to discuss measures for further promoting cooperation in fields of economy, energy, infrastructure, defense and education including culture.
He will also meet his Kazakh counterpart to review the progress regarding the decisions taken during the prime minister’s visit to the country last year.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan, Finance Minister Hafiz Sheikh and Minister for Water and Power Naveed Qamar are accompanying the prime minister.
