Drone strikes on Pakistan's territory have counterproductive impact: PM Nawaz
PM Nawaz Sharif says Pakistan desires peace‚ security and stability in the region.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the Asian countries are confronting challenges of peace‚ energy‚ economy and environment and there is need to make joint efforts to overcome these challenges.
Addressing the Asian Parliamentary Assembly here on Tuesday, he said that exchange of the parliamentary delegations and strengthening of standing committees can help the Asian people come closer and work together for their prosperity.
Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan wants good relations with its neighbours including India and Afghanistan and desires peace‚ security and stability in the region for ensuring speedy economic growth and welfare of the people.
With peaceful democratic power transition‚ Pakistan is now heading towards revival of its economy through a strong parliament’ he said.
The PM said we have been successful to build consensus for fighting terrorism through parliament. He said the government is also taking concrete measures for revival of economy and overcoming energy crisis.
He said the government is determined to resolve the problems being faced by the people in minimum possible time.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that Asian Parliamentary Assembly can play an important role in bringing close the Asian countries and speed up efforts for overcoming the challenges faced by the region.
Later, addressing at a lunch hosted for European Union s Ambassadors in Islamabad, Nawaz Sharif said his government is fully engaged in creating awareness sensitizing international community about the negative impact of drone strikes in Pakistan and persuading it to find ways and means to curb terrorism that are not counter-productive.
He said Pakistan is looking forward to deepening further its cooperation with its European partners in key areas including trade‚ investment‚ energy‚ infrastructure development‚ education and human resource development.
The PM said European countries‚ as our largest trade and investment partners‚ enjoy a unique position in our priorities.
Nawaz said that we are very satisfied and deeply encouraged to see the progress towards grant of GSP+ status to Pakistan‚ which is going to be voted on by the European Parliament.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan is a country full of potential‚ but not yet really exploited and we are looking to working closely with European Union both in exploring‚ exploiting and developing this potential and realizing the opportunities.
Nawaz Sharif said the government is determined to rid Pakistan of terrorism and extremism. He said this menace is complex in nature and is rooted in the events of the past three decades‚ having global‚ regional and local dimensions.
He said we believe the best way to deal with these challenges is through national consensus‚ which we are generating through various forums including the All Parties Conference and the Parliamentary resolutions.
The PM said that one of the foremost foreign policy priorities of Pakistan is to have good neighbourly‚ friendly and cooperative relations with all our neighbours including India‚ based on mutual respect and esteem.
He told the Ambassadors that the new government has approached the internal and external challenges by creating a climate of political tolerance and accommodation based on respect of mandates of all parties.
It is worth mentioning here that The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to US drone attacks on Pakistani territory.
The resolution strongly condemned the US drone attacks saying these constitute violation of the principles of the Charter of United Nations‚ international laws and humanitarian norms.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday met the visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and conveyed his deep concern over continuing American drone strikes on Pakistan’s territory.
Hagel arrived in Islamabad on Monday morning after visiting Afghanistan at a time when relations between Pakistan and the U.S. are under pressure over several issues, particularly the controversial drone attacks in Pakistan s tribal regions.
