Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Photo Courtesy: AP
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Photo Courtesy: AP

Gilani looks forward to meeting with Singh

Fri-Jul 03, 2009

Islamabad / Press Trust of India

Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said that his upcoming meeting with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of NAM summit in Egypt would be an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties.

Pakistan wants to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours, including India and Afghanistan, Gilani told reporters after presiding over a convocation at a college in Islamabad.

He expressed hope that the outcome of his meeting with Singh on the margins of the July 11-16 Non-Aligned Movement meet in Sharm El-Sheikh would be "positive."

The meeting with Singh would be an opportunity to strengthen relations between the two countries, he said.

Asked about the operations against the Taliban in the northwestern Malakand division, Gilani said the success achieved in securing areas from terrorists was a result of the sacrifices made by the army.

After the completion of the operations, a military cantonment will be established in Swat and the capacity of law enforcement agencies will be enhanced, he said.

Asked to confirm reports regarding Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah being injured in the operations, Gilani said Interior Minister Rehman Malik could issue statements on such matters.

In response to another question about the possible influx of the Taliban into Pakistan in the wake of US forces launching an operation in Afghanistan's Helmand province, he said the government would take all possible measures not to let anyone destabilise the country.
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