We won’t let foreigners investigate suspects: PM

* Gilani says he turned down Gordon Brown’s request to allow Britain
to interrogate suspects
* Opposition assures government of support, criticises foreign policy

By Irfan Ghauri

Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the National
Assembly on Monday that he had turned down a request that Britain be
allowed to investigate those detained after the Mumbai attacks.

The prime minister’s comments came in his policy statement before the
start of a debate on national security in the wake of the Mumbai
terror attacks.

He said the British request came at a meeting with Prime Minister
Gordon Brown on Sunday, but he told his British counterpart that if
there was evidence against those arrested after the attacks, they
would be prosecuted under Pakistani law.

He made it clear that Jamaatud Dawa’s ‘welfare activities’ would not
be blocked, as “thousands of people are benefitting from them”.
Gilani, however, said the government would now monitor these
activities.

Gilani said that Pakistan was committed to peace in the region, but if
war is thrust on the country, “we will give [a] befitting response ...
the nation, the army and the political leadership is united, and we
can defend our national sovereignty”. “We condemn terrorism wherever
it is ... terrorists have no principles, religion, faith, boundaries
or scruples,” he said.

Prime Minister Gilani thanked the opposition and treasury for being
united on issues related to national security.

Gilani said he had also called several world leaders in the wake of
the Mumbai terror attacks, and they in turn spoke with Indian leaders
to tell the neighbour they “fully support Pakistan”.

The opposition criticised India for ‘trying to destabilise Pakistan’
after the attacks, and said Pakistan’s response should be ‘stern’.
Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of the PML-N assured the government that the
nation would support it on issues related to national security.

Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat of the PML-Q said it was because of the
government’s ‘foreign policy failure’ that India was threatening
Pakistan.