| Ashraf to raise cross-border terror attacks with Karzai |
KARACHI Pakistan’s new prime minister on Monday condemned cross-border attacks from Afghanistan and said he would discuss the matter with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, a day after six Pakistani soldiers were killed.
“Pakistan has strongly protested with Afghanistan on the cross-border attacks and I will also take up this issue with Karzai,” Raja Pervez Ashraf told reporters in Karachi.
His office did not elaborate on when such a conversation might take place.
Pakistani officials said militants killed six troops on patrol in the Soni Darr area of Upper Dir, a northwestern Pakistani district on the Afghan border.
Intelligence officials said the attackers were loyalists of Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who fled into Afghanistan when the army recaptured the Swat valley after a two-year Taliban insurgency ended in 2009.
Afghanistan and Pakistan trade accusations of blame for Taliban violence plaguing both sides of their porous, mountainous border.
Earlier, the prime minister said that it is the resolve of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its allies to foster the politics of reconciliation in the country in Karachi. Ashraf was talking to media representatives during his visit to the mausoleum of founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah and later at the chief minister house.
The prime minister reiterated that for facing the challenges we would have to sit together to find the solution with mutual consultation. “For this the government is always ready”, he further pointed out.
He said that he was thankful the coalition partners who elected him the prime minister with a wide majority.
He made it clear that we do not want confrontation with any institution as this is in no way in the interest of the country and the people. Ashraf further stated that need of the hour was that we follow the path in accordance with the constitution and the law.
In reply to a question, he said that democracy and the parliament safeguard the country. The solution to all the problems is an excellent parliament and democracy and for this the government has decided that there will be free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
He said that instead of anarchy, holding free, fair and transparent elections are in the interest of all the political parties. “We all should pay attention towards this very aspect”, he added.
He said that that the next elections will be conducted impartially.
Ashraf said that he attended the office on Sunday and the first meeting was regarding energy.
“We have started working on it and our efforts are that the people should feel that the work is being done in this area.” On law and order, he said that the adviser to the Interior Minister Rehman Malik had given him a briefing. The governor and chief minister Sindh were also present there and we had talked to them also.
Dawn and Agencies
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