ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Monday decided to respect the decision of the All Parties Conference (APC) and pursue peace dialogue process with the Taliban.
The meeting of the federal cabinet was held in Islamabad on Monday with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the chair to review overall situation in the wake of Pakistani Taliban Chief Hakimullah Mehsud’s killing.
Addressing the meeting‚ the prime minister said that drone strikes have severely damaged governmental efforts for dialogue and establishment of peace but expressed the confidence that the process would not be allowed to be derailed.
Sharif said if cooperation cannot be extended to the process of elimination of terrorism then at least it should not be damaged.
The prime minister said Pakistan has every right to take its own decisions in the interest of the country.
He pointed out that continuation of the regrettable and condemnable drone strikes indicates that Pakistan’s viewpoint on establishment of durable peace and elimination of terrorism on sustainable basis has not been understood.
Sharif said the recent APC proved that entire political and military leadership‚ people‚ media and civil society wanted resolution of the issue of terrorism through serious and meaningful dialogue. He said the world community also wants an end to the bloodshed.
The premier said Pakistan had to pay the price of terrorism more than anyone else and it is fully conscious of the seriousness of the issue. However‚ the country should be allowed to resolve the issue according to its own strategy.
