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US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides shakes hand with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani during their meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan on 13 June 2011. Thomas Nides is on a two-day official visit of Pakistan |
The Prime Minister’s remarks is considered to be a response to the repeated demands from the top US officials to do more especially their call for an operation in the North Waziristan tribal region.
Pakistan has not yet agreed to the US proposal for military option in North Waziristan, the CIA considers the region as the main Al Qaeda and Taliban heaven for cross border attacks into Afghanistan.
Local media reported yesterday that Pakistan’s military has planned, as first step, to ‘enlist pro-government tribal elders in a fresh campaign it has devised to flush out Al Qaeda members and its affiliates from North Waziristan’.
The move is aimed at deflecting growing US pressure for a full-scale offensive against the Haqqani Network.
“Reconciliation and dialogue have to be resorted to and international community and the U.S. in particular have to focus on socio-economic development in the militancy affected areas and provide political space to the democratic Government of Pakistan,” Gilani told Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Resources and Management in Islamabad.
The prime minister stressed that the future joint strategy for peace and stability in the region should ensure political and economic stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“The support and assistance of international community to Pakistan at this critical juncture would be essential,” Gilani said and identified the development of energy sector as the most immediate requirement of Pakistan and called on the US to channelise its economic assistance to the high visibility power projects in Pakistan which would help building of its image as well.