'It is for Pak courts to examine evidence against Saeed'

Islamabad, Apr 6: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today that any concrete evidence against LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed should be provided to this country to be examined by the country's courts.

If anyone had any concrete evidence against Saeed, it should be provided to Pakistan as the country's courts are free and independent, Gilani said during an interaction with reporters at Hyderabad city in Sindh province. Gilani reiterated his contention that the case of Saeed was "Pakistan's internal matter".

Asked about the USD 10 million bounty announced for Saeed by the US, he said a policy statement on the issue had been issued by the Foreign Office and he had expressed his views in parliament yesterday.

Pakistan has bilateral relations with both India and the US and the issue of Saeed can be discussed at the bilateral level, he said without giving details.

Responding to a question about the reopening of NATO supply routes to Afghanistan and new terms of engagement with the US and NATO, Gilani said the parliament would decide these matters, which are currently being discussed in a joint session of the National Assembly and Senate.

The supply routes were closed after a cross-border NATO air strike in November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Gilani subsequently ordered a parliamentary review of Pakistan-US relations. Gilani further said the federal government was concerned about the law and order situation in Karachi, which has been rocked by ethnic and political violence over the past few days.

The federal government is ready to cooperate with the provincial government and provide all out assistance to tackle the situation, he said. He said the government will provide maximum relief to the common man in the budget for fiscal 2012-13. "The Finance Ministry has been directed to provide maximum relief to the common man in the forthcoming budget," he said.

PTI