ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday told top US officials his country was fighting terrorism for its own survival and would not succumb to pressure by militants, officials said.
'Pakistan is fighting a battle for its own survival,’ a statement issued by the presidency quoted Mr Zardari as telling Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Richard Holbrooke, special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, during a meeting on Monday night.
‘The president said the government would not succumb to any pressure by militants,’ it said.
However, Mr Zardari had called for dialogue with those who laid down their arms and respected state authority, it added.
They also discussed regional security issues, the Afghanistan strategy announced by President Barack Obama last month and a recent surge of militancy and extremism in the region, the statement said.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Quresh also attended the meeting.
Mr Zardari stressed the need for accelerating development of the impoverished tribal areas bordering Afghanistan and said his government was pursuing the ‘three Ds’ (dialogue, development, deterrence) strategy, the statement said.
No comments:
Post a Comment