— File Photo by Online

ISLAMABAD: A high-level meeting took place on Wednesday in Islamabad to discuss the relationship between Pakistan and the United States, DawnNews reported.

The meeting was jointly presided over by President Aif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The meeting was attended by the chiefs of all three armed forces; Army, Air Force and the Navy.

Chairman Joint Chief of staff committee General Khalid Shamim Wyne and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar also attended the meeting.

The meeting came before the prime minister leaves for Kabul to discuss Taliban peace talks and cross-border attacks coming from Afghanistan.

Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) Chief Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam is also expected to visit the United States to resume talks on drone strikes.

Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani – File photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: Following the nomination of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for the post of prime minister, Potohar region has attained the distinguished honour of being home to four of most influential personnel in Pakistan’s government and military.

Apart from PM-nominee Ashraf, Chairman Senate Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Zaheer-ul-Islam also hail from this north-western region of the country.

Some of the major districts of this region include, capital Islamabad, adjoining Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jehlum.

Top military men Kayani and Islam, as well as Ashraf hail from Rawalpindi. While Chairman Senate Bukhari belongs to the village of Malpur in Islamabad.

Ashraf was nominated for the position of prime minister by the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party following the disqualification of Yousuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court on June 19.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday that the government has taken into account the factors resulting in discontentment of people of Balochistan and continuing unrest in the country’s largest province.

A high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister was held to discuss the issue of missing persons and law and order situation in Balochistan.

The meeting at the prime minister house was attended by Balochistan’s governor Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi and Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, the federal ministers, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani and Director General Inter Service Intelligence (DG-ISI) Lt General Muhammad Zaheerul Islam.

Director General Intelligence Bureau (DG-IB) Aftab Sultan and Inspector General (IG) Balochistan Karar Hussain also attended the meeting.

Briefing media representatives about the meeting, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that in first phase dialogue will be held with political parties believing in the federation. In second phase it will be held with those nationalist groups which are working under the federation and in third with other groups.

The information minister said the army chief particularly insisted on political solution of the Balochistan issue. The COAS further said as it is a political issue therefore military option will not be a lasting solution, Kaira added.

He said the meeting expressed resolve to thoroughly review the issue of missing persons and take concrete steps for its solution.

He said all clauses of law regarding arrests, detentions and trial will be implemented and stern action will be taken against those committing human rights violations.

“It is sincere intention of the government to create an enabling environment for dialogue with leadership of Balochistan,” the prime minister said in his opening remarks at the meeting.

Gilani said Balochistan had been on low priority of previous governments and its genuine share in the progress had long been denied. “We want change in Balochistan a change for stability and prosperity,” he observed.

Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package was introduced in November 2009 envisaging 61 reforms proposals in constitutional administrative political and economic spheres.

Consequent upon 18th constitution amendment a major part of Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan already stands implemented, he added.

The prime minister said many cases of political workers not involved in heinous crimes were withdrawn by the government and consequently a number of missing persons reunited with their families.

He said Army was withdrawn and replaced by Frontier Constabulary. Directions were issued to IG FC Balochistan to seek guidance from Chief Minister on issues of internal security of the province.

He said Balochistan demand for increase in its share in National Finance Commission (NFC) Award was also fulfilled.

Its share in divisible pool raised from 5.1% to 9.9%. Rs 1 billion allocated for rehabilitation of IDPs from Dera Bugti.

Additionally Rs 120 million also paid to IDPs of Maula Bund Area.

The ban on recruitment of Balochistan domiciled candidates against Federal Government posts was lifted, he stated.

General Kayani said that Frontier Corps (FC) is not authorised to take any action on its own. FC is under the authority of the provincial government and it should not work beyond it domain of work.

The ISI chief General Zaheerul Islam said that his agency would fully cooperate in the recovery of the missing person.

Pakistan’s Director-General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Lieutenant-General Zaheer-ul-Islam (R), attends a function with Governor of Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad (C) and Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah (L) in Karachi, December 25, 2011. — Reuters File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency has postponed a visit to the United States due to “pressing commitments”, a military spokesman said Monday.

The postponement follows renewed tensions between the two countries over Pakistan’s six-month blockade on Nato supplies into Afghanistan and last week’s sentencing of a Pakistani doctor hired by the CIA to help find Osama bin Laden.

In a short statement sent to reporters by text message, the spokesman said that the visit by the ISI director general, Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam, to the United States “has been postponed due to his pressing commitments here”.

“There is no other reason of postponing the visit,” the spokesman added.

Pakistani-US intelligence cooperation is understood to have continued despite stormy diplomatic relations between the two capitals, but frustration has been growing in both countries on how to break the stalemate.

Pakistani officials have reported five US drone strikes on Pakistani soil since a Nato summit last week, marking a dramatic increase in attacks that Pakistan demanded an end to after US air strikes in November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

The Chicago summit had been meant to symbolise a thaw between the United States and Pakistan, but appeared only to worsen the bad blood.

There is still no deal on reopening the Nato supply routes through Pakistan, vital for US and allied troops in Afghanistan.