ON BOARD THE PLANE – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said that he had gone through a thorough consultative process for the Nuclear Security Summit before leaving Islamabad for the Washington DC.
While talking to the journalists on board, the Prime Minister said that he not only briefed President Asif Ali Zardari but also took into confidence the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and other stakeholders as well regarding PakistanÂ’s stance and his statement at the Summit.
The Prime Minister said that it was his style of democratic governance that he took all stakeholders including the Opposition into confidence regarding the national stance at the multilateral occasion.
To a question whether there would be something Pakistan specific in the first of its sort convening of 47 countries, he said, “It was a multilateral event and Pakistan would be participating in it as a key member of the international coalition against terrorism. That is why I have shared my statement that I am going to make at the Summit,” he added. “So there was nothing Pakistan specific in the Summit that aims foolproof security of the nuclear assets around the world.”
The event, he said, is also an opportunity for bilateral meeting with President Obama who knows very well that Pakistan’s nuclear assets were safe. “Both at the multilateral summit and the bilateral meeting with President Obama, we would take a clear stance of right to the acquisition of peaceful nuclear technology,” he maintained.
The Prime Minister who would fly to US on Sunday after overnight stay at London is scheduled to meet President Obama immediately after reaching Washington DC.
Answering questions regarding the benefits of the landmark constitutional reforms for the masses, he said the Government’s priority during the next three years of its current tenure would be to address the public issues and provide relief to the people. “Yes people are suffering. And they are suffering due to two problems at present and that are economy and security and we have challenged both the issues,” he said and added, “I have asked the Finance Minister to tackle the energy security and electricity shortages at the war footings.”
“Therefore our priority number one is electricity. But there is no quick fix to the shortage of electricity since we had inherited a huge gape between the supply and demand of power. And if we manage to bridge this gap, it would result in industrial growth as well as boom in agriculture,” he maintained.
To a question about the public having a negative impression of the withdrawal of the constitutional cover to the political parties act in the 18th Constitutional Amendment, he said, “It was to go as part of the 17th Amendment under the agreement in the Charter of Democracy. Otherwise the political parties are bound to hold their elections and fully adhere to the Political Parties Act which is very much in place.”
According to the Prime Minister, it was quite too difficult to achieve consensus on the Constitutional Reforms, as there were 442 members of both the National Assembly and the Senate as compared to total 128 members at the time of initial passage of the Constitution in 1973.
Agencies add: Earlier talking to newsmen at Chaklala Airbase before the departure, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani left for Washington Saturday to attend Nuclear Security Summit on Monday at the invitation of US President Barack Hussein Obama.
He assured the world and the nation that Pakistani nuclear programme and assets were in safe hands. He said there would be no compromise on the nuclear programme and Pakistan had 30 years experience of handling this programme.
The prime minister said he also took the matter before the national security committee of the parliament and it totally endorsed the safety of the nuclear programme. He said he was visiting Washington at the invitation of US President Barack Hussein Obama.
Leaders from more than 40 countries along with the UN secretary general and director general of International Atomic Energy Agency have been invited to participate in the Nuclear Security Summit.
The Nuclear Security Summit is aimed at evolving consensus on securing nuclear facilities and materials around the globe. As a nuclear state, Pakistan is cognizant of its special responsibilities and attaches highest importance to the security of nuclear materials both for civil and military use. Pakistan has developed and put in place multi-layered mechanisms for the safety and security of its nuclear assets.
Prime Minister Gilani will also hold bilateral meetings with President Barack Obama and other world leaders on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is accompanying the prime minister.
Federal ministers, Chief of Army Staff Ishfaq Pervaiz Kayani and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Tariq Majeed saw off the prime minister at the airbase.