NATO supplies to resume per parliament’s wishes: PM

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday said NATO supplies would be resumed per the recommendations forwarded by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.
“Pakistan wants good relations with global community, and any decision about resumption of NATO supplies would be carried out according to parliamentary recommendations,” he said. “We have received recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and we are focusing on concrete issue aimed at removing the irritants.” “We want to resolve the issue highlighted by Parliamentary Committee on National Security for good,” the prime minister said while responding to queries of a Chinese delegation that called on the PM. The 100-member Chinese delegation, led by deputy secretary of All-China Youth Federation, represents Chinese from all walks of life. Gilani said the issue relating to NATO supplies was a matter of relations with not just a country, but 48 countries of the world. He said Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue of strained ties with the US and NATO once and for all. He said Pakistan wanted to maintain good relations with all its neighbors and nations of the world, including America, which was an “important country”.
The prime minister said Pakistan wanted to see a stable, prosperous, independent and sovereign Afghanistan which would be in the best interest of the region. Earlier in the day, the PM called upon President Asif Ali Zardari and apprised him of the details about his visit to Britain. Gilani briefed the president about his meetings with British dignitaries and other engagements during the visit. The president congratulated the prime minister for his successful and fruitful visit, saying it would greatly help further strengthen Enhanced Strategic Dialogue and partnership with the UK. The two leaders discussed the potential restoration of NATO supply routes for NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan.
The president and PM also reviewed the current political situation of the country, saying the PPP would fight for its rights within the domain of law and constitution. Zardari and Gilani agreed not to surrender before the opposition. They said the PPP would foil all undemocratic efforts to derail and destabilize the government. Zardari said the PPP rendered great sacrifices in order to restore democracy in the country and it knew well how deal with the challenges, adding that the PPP government would provide relief to the masses, which was its top most priority. Later, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, ISI DG Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Finance Secretary Wajid Rana, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, and president spokesperson Farhatullah Babar also joined the meeting. Farhatullah Babar said the regional security situation was discussed during the meeting. Sources said the main issue discussed during the meeting was the restoration of NATO supplies to Afghanistan.