Nawaz Sharif to take up drone issue with US President

Nawaz Sharif to take up drone issue with US President

LONDON, Oct 19 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Saturday  said he would discuss the issue of drone attacks again with the US leaders during his three-day visit. “Pakistan raised its concern in UNGA meeting, and the world appreciated it. Again in my official visit to US I will reiterate the same message,” he told media in London. The Prime Minister made a stop over in London while on his way to Washington, where he will meet President Barack Obama. Regarding the  drone attacks, he said our stand was clear and there was no duplicity in our policy. He said he raised this issue in UNGA meeting, he would again tell Obama that these strikes were against Pakistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. About a question on Kashmir, the Prime Minister said in his US visit in July 1999 during Kargil incident, he had clearly told President Clinton that if the US intervened, Kashmir issue could be resolved.  “I told him if he spends 10 per cent of the time he was spending on Middle East, the Kashmir issue between two countries would resolve.”  Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that President Clinton promised, but then things changed.  He said India and Pakistan both were nuclear powers and the region was a nuclear flash point. He said that though India did not want such intervention, but the world powers should get involved to resolve the issue.  He said for the last 60 years both the countries were entangled in arms race. “The situation can become dangerous. India has nuclear bomb, so do we; India develops missiles, so do we. There should be a limit to it. We all should think about it.”  About talks with Taliban and deaths of three Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ministers, the Prime Minister said  he was saddened at the deaths.  “All parties agreed to talks, we start talk, then violence erupts and things get off track.” He said there was need for serious efforts for talks and the efforts should also be made from the other side.  When asked if Pakistan could become a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the the prime minister said such a gulf should not be there in two countries. OIC should  play a role in this situation.  He said he would think himself fortunate if he could play any role but for this both the countries should first agree to it.  About youth employment programme, he said after his upcoming foreign visits, he would make announcement of his policy in this regard.   About civil nuclear technology, the Prime Minister said it was Pakistan’s legitimate right to benefit from it. He said he would take up the issue with the US leaders.  Talking about post-Nato pull-out situation in Afghanistan, he said Pakistan had its own place and role to play. “We want friendship with Afghanistan. We have no favorites in Afghanistan.”  The Prime Minister said he would also attend trilateral conference on Afghanistan with President Hamid  Karzai and Prime Minister David Cameron in UK during his upcoming visit to the  UK. “We will try to restart our efforts for peace in Afghanistan.”  He said that an economic package was being formulated to improve the state of affairs. He assured that early resolution of cases of overseas Pakistanis like land and property grabbing were being deliberated upon seriously.  “We will formulate a committee comprising overseas Pakistanis to resolve their issues.”  On energy issue he said he never said his government would overcome energy crisis in 6 months. “Rather we said we would overcome this issue before the end of our tenure. After that we will be able to reduce the energy prices.”