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| Swat deal in ambit of Pak constitution: Gilani |
| Rezaul H Laskar / PTI / Islamabad Feb 21, 2009, 13:47 IST |
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Under attack from the international community, including US, on the Swat peace deal with Taliban-linked group, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the pact was within the ambit of the country's constitution and there was "nothing to worry about".
He said that the peace deal enforcing Islamic laws in the restive Swat region would only become operational after restoration of complete normalcy in the area.
Also read: Today Swat, tomorrow...?
Gilani said the Nizam-e-Adl Ordinance would be signed by President Asif Ali Zardari only after the restoration of complete peace in the area.
"What we are doing is within the ambit of the constitution and there is nothing to worry about," he said.
Gilani's comments came as the US, NATO, India and Britain voiced concern over the pact with the Taliban-linked group, saying it could be a ploy to enable the militant organisations to re-group.
Hardline cleric Sufi Mohammad of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Mohammadi has been closetted with his son-in-law and Pakistani Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah for the past two days to get the peace pact endorsed by the militant group, who have been waging a bloody campaign in the picturesque Swat valley for enforcing Sharia laws.
Gilani and Johns agreed that the use of force is not the only option to effectively fight terrorism.
Dialogue, which is an important component of the Pakistan government's three-pronged strategy, should be incorporated in confronting militancy and efforts to restore peace in the Swat valley should be seen in that context, the statement said.
The premier emphasised the need for building the capacity of Pakistan's civil armed forces, training and equipping the Pakistan Army for effectively taking on the militants, sharing of actionable intelligence and building of trust and confidence among allies involved in joint efforts to counter terrorism.
US and NATO forces should act in coordination with the Afghan government to eliminate poppy cultivation and destroy heroin laboratories. This will stop the financing of Taliban through drug money from Afghanistan, Gilani said.
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