ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday summoned an important meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) to discuss matters related to internal and external security today (Friday) at 11am. The meeting was summoned following a phone call from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to President Asif Ali Zardari.
A source told Pakistan Today that the DCC had been summoned to review the on-going war against terrorism and take a decision on launching a military operation in North Waziristan. Though the agenda of the DCC meeting has not been circulated, it is understood that some important decisions would be taken at this forum which meets occasionally.
The situation emerging after the release of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks is also expected to be discussed. The foreign minister, the interior minister, the three chiefs of the armed forces and the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) will attend the meeting. An equally important meeting of the Pakistan Army’s formation commanders was also held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Monday.
Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani will take the DCC into confidence over the adjustment of the army in Swat. He said participants of the meeting would also discuss security situation in Afghanistan. Earlier, Clinton telephoned President Zardari and talked about bilateral matters with reference to the recent publication of so called memos and official correspondence by the WikiLeaks.
President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the two leaders agreed that Wikileak publications were not only unauthorised but also out of context and were based on raw information that did not reflect the correct nature of the purported official correspondence. They also agreed that the so-called leaks will not be allowed to cast a shadow on the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The spokesman said the so-called leaks of official memos was already a thing of the past and the President looks forward to the future and the promise it holds.
