Islamabad:
In his first policy speech, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani on Saturday said that ",wishes and aspirations", of the Kashmiri people will be taken on board while resolving the Kashmir issue and their ",sacrifices", will not go waste.
Gillani's comments were in sharp contrast to the ruling PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari's recent remarks expressing readiness to set aside the Kashmir issue to focus on other aspects for improving relations with India.
Gillani's statement reinforced Pakistan's long-standing position on Kashmir and was an indication that he favoured third party involvement to resolve the vexed issue, a move strongly opposed by India which wants the problem to be settled bilaterally.
Addressing the National Assembly, lower house of Parliament, after securing its unanimous backing, Gillani said that confidence-building measures on Kashmir would be effective only if the long-standing issue is settled in line with the ",wishes", of the Kashmiri people.
",On this occasion, I want to assure our Kashmiri brothers and sisters that their sacrifices will not go waste,", he said.
",We will take forward the process to settle the Kashmir issue but CBMs will be effective only when the issue is perceived as being resolved according to the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.",
",We will work for peace and brotherhood with countries in our neighbourhood,", Gillani said in the brief section of his speech devoted to the new coalition government's foreign policy stance.
The foundation of Pakistan's foreign policy, he said, is ",peace and good relations with all",.
",We believe in the principle of live and let live. We will build relations with all countries on the basis of equality. We look at all nations with respect and dignity and we expect the same from the rest of the world.",
While Pakistan wants good relations with the US and Europe, the strengthening of the country's close relations with the Islamic world will also be an important part of the foreign policy, Gillani said.
Pakistan will also strengthen its relations with China, which Gillani described as ",an old friend", and ",important neighbour",.
",We want peace in Afghanistan as we believe a strong and peaceful Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan. We want to see this brotherly nation on the road to progress and prosperity,", he said.
Pakistan's New Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has said that the greatest problems facing Pakistan are ",terrorism and extremism",.
Gillani added that his top priority is to bring peace to the Pakistan.
Gillani's comments were in sharp contrast to the ruling PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari's recent remarks expressing readiness to set aside the Kashmir issue to focus on other aspects for improving relations with India.
Gillani's statement reinforced Pakistan's long-standing position on Kashmir and was an indication that he favoured third party involvement to resolve the vexed issue, a move strongly opposed by India which wants the problem to be settled bilaterally.
Addressing the National Assembly, lower house of Parliament, after securing its unanimous backing, Gillani said that confidence-building measures on Kashmir would be effective only if the long-standing issue is settled in line with the ",wishes", of the Kashmiri people.
",On this occasion, I want to assure our Kashmiri brothers and sisters that their sacrifices will not go waste,", he said.
",We will take forward the process to settle the Kashmir issue but CBMs will be effective only when the issue is perceived as being resolved according to the wishes and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.",
",We will work for peace and brotherhood with countries in our neighbourhood,", Gillani said in the brief section of his speech devoted to the new coalition government's foreign policy stance.
The foundation of Pakistan's foreign policy, he said, is ",peace and good relations with all",.
",We believe in the principle of live and let live. We will build relations with all countries on the basis of equality. We look at all nations with respect and dignity and we expect the same from the rest of the world.",
While Pakistan wants good relations with the US and Europe, the strengthening of the country's close relations with the Islamic world will also be an important part of the foreign policy, Gillani said.
Pakistan will also strengthen its relations with China, which Gillani described as ",an old friend", and ",important neighbour",.
",We want peace in Afghanistan as we believe a strong and peaceful Afghanistan is in the best interest of Pakistan. We want to see this brotherly nation on the road to progress and prosperity,", he said.
Pakistan's New Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has said that the greatest problems facing Pakistan are ",terrorism and extremism",.
Gillani added that his top priority is to bring peace to the Pakistan.
