Gilani rules out mid-term polls in Pakistan

Islamabad, Jan 12 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has ruled out mid-term elections in the country, saying that the PPP-led ruling coalition would complete its five-year term.

Talking to the media after inaugurating the cadet college at Pano Aqil, Gilani refuted reports that the government was under any international pressure over the sacking of former national security adviser Mehmud Ali Durrani.

Gilani said India had provided a dossier on the alleged involvement of Pakistani militants in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

He said he had informed his Indian counterpart that Pakistan had its own rules and procedure to deal with these issues.

The News quoted Gilani as assuring India that militants would not be allowed to use Pakistani soil for carrying out terrorist activities against any country.

He said Pakistan was waging a war against such elements and a military operation had been launched to uproot terrorist sanctuaries in the tribal areas.

On the possible participation of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) in the lawyers' long march; Gilani said it was an internal matter of the PML-N.

He said the PPP and the PML-N had different manifestos and the PML-N was free to follow theirs.

Gilani denied any rift between the civilian government and the Army, and said the federation was strong and united to defend the sovereignty of the country.

Responding to a question, he said it was not in the national interest to involve local intelligence agencies in the investigation of Benazir Bhutto's murder, adding that the UN had agreed to name a commission to probe into the assassination and promised to make its report public. (ANI)