Pak PM says Army to check extremism

Multan, Nov 16 : Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the country's Army had been assigned the task of checking extremism in the troubled tribal areas like FATA and NWFP.

He said that the Army had adopted an effective strategy to eliminate militancy and extremism in that region.

"Some foreign elements, including the Uzbeks, the Chechens, the Afghans and the Saudis etc, are involved in cross-border activities which provide justification to the NATO forces to launch air strikes on Pakistan territory. The government would like to hold dialogue with those extremists who were ready to renounce militancy," The News quoted him as saying while speaking to reporters.

He said that as a consequence of the Army's effective strategy these "foreign militants would be controlled and eliminated", which will, in turn, would usher an era of peace, stability and consequent prosperity in the country.

He said that Pakistan was a sovereign country and will not allow anyone, Nato or foreign militants, to disturb national peace and security. "As a responsible nation, we have been taking up the American air attacks on our territories at the diplomatic and government levels, and we hope that the new US government led by Barack Obama will stop these attacks," he said and added that in the US there was a transition period and the things would improve as soon as the new government took charge of the office.

ANI