Pakistan disapproves international criticism over sharia-deal

Islamabad, Feb. 20 (ANI): The Pakistan Government has disapproved growing international criticism of the sharia-deal signed with Taliban, saying that speculations would not be helpful.

"Establishing peace, security and stability are matters of highest priority for Pakistan Government and it will use all necessary means to achieve these objectives,' said Abdul Basit, the Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman at the weekly media briefing.

The Government statement has come in the wake of fresh criticism from the US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, who has said the US was troubled and confused about what happened in Swat because it was not an encouraging trend.

The issue of sharia-deal is likely to come up in talks with the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during his scheduled visit to Washington next week.

Earlier, North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Britain had severely criticized the accord, fearing the ceasefire may give Taliban militants time to train and come up stronger.

Basit said the government was engaged with the international community and putting across its viewpoint. He said the accord was part of government's three-pronged strategy - dialogue, deterrence and development.

He reassured the international community that Pakistan remained fully committed to rooting out terrorism.

"Pakistan attaches immense importance to eliminating militancy and terrorism," Basit said

In a reaction the appointment of a special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan by Germany, Basit said the experience showed that partial solutions did not work. He called for addressing the underlying causes of regional problems. (ANI)