Gilani doublespeak: From peace overtures, now tells NATO fears war with India

BRUSSELS - Just when things were starting to get back on track between India and Pakistan, and a ‘positive’ outcome from the upcoming Foreign Ministerial level talks was expected, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s tirade over New Delhi’s conventional war strategy has once again put light on Islamabad’s obstinate attitude concerning resolving long pending issues with the neighbouring nation.

Addressing the North Atlantic Council (NAC) here, Gilani urged the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to take active interest in South Asian security perspectives, saying his country is facing a continuous war threat from the Indian Army’s Pakistan centric strategies.

“We remain concerned over Pakistan-specific Indian military doctrines such as the Cold Start envisaging a limited conventional war under the nuclear overhang, huge increase in Indian military budget and massive weapon acquisitions,” The News quoted Gilani, as saying.

“These together with discriminatory policies especially in the nuclear and technological arena have accentuated the regional imbalance in South Asia,” he added.

Gilani once against raked the long pending issues between India and Pakistan on the international stage, saying outstanding disputes such as Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, and the river water sharing require a just and peaceful resolution, as these issues have a significant bearing on South Asia’s security.

Gilani said that Pakistan wants to resolve all impending issues with India peacefully through composite dialogue, which, he said, was stalled after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks due to ‘ostensible reasons’ tabled by New Delhi.

He stressed that Pakistan acted swiftly against the 26/11 suspects and put them behind bars, which indicated that his country ’sincerely’ wanted to cooperate with India.

“We have done our utmost to bring the perpetrators to justice. We have indicated to India that only serious, sustained and pragmatic cooperation is the sure way of addressing each others concerns on terrorism,” Gilani said.

Without mentioning India, which Pakistan claims is using Afghanistan’s soil to launch terror activities inside its territory, Gilani said Islamabad would never allow terrorists to use the country’s soil for any militant activities, and neither would it permit the use of its neighbouring territories against Pakistan.

“It is our national resolve not to allow terrorists any space on our territory. Equally, we will not permit the use of territory of our neighbours for sponsoring, supporting or abetting acts of terror against Pakistan,” he said. (ANI)