Gilani highlights safeguarding national interest as governments key priority

Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the safeguarding of national interest is his governments key priority.

He said Pakistan wanted to maintain friendly ties with the United States on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest, without compromising on each others national interests.

We have explained to the US government that if it is answerable to Congress, then we are equally accountable to the Parliament, the Dawn quoted Gilani, as saying.

Gilani said there was no question of raising fingers at Pakistans role in the fight against terrorism.

Pakistan had to take up the role of a frontline state role in the fight against terror due to its strategic position, and that Pakistans intelligence agencies and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had launched joint action against high-level targets in the past.

Condemning the cross-border attack in Chitral, some elements, who did not want amicable ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan, were creating disturbance.

Gilani said Pakistans security agencies were immensely efficient and pointed out that the law enforcement agencies in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas), Swat and Malakand had successfully targeted the terrorists.