Re: Militants operating in J&K are terrorists, not freedom fighters: Zardari
unsurprisingly this story/headline was made up. the ppp has, thankfully, denied the alleged remarks attributed to pres. zardari.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | No consent given to US for strikes inside Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The government said on Monday that President Asif Ali Zardari had not given any form of consent to the United States or allied forces to carry out strikes inside Pakistan.
“The president has been saying consistently that if the coalition forces see any evidence of cross-border activity then that actionable intelligence should be shared with Pakistan immediately so we can take action on the ground. At all forums the president has clearly asked all allies and forces to respect Pakistan’s territorial integrity. At no point will the president or this government compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty,” Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman said in a statement.
**The remarks came after Zardari’s interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) raised many eyebrows. **
**The WSJ reported that Zardari acknowledged that the US was carrying out predator missile strikes on Pakistani soil with the consent of his government. **
“We have an understanding, in the sense that we are going after an enemy together”, he was quoted as saying.
He was also reported to have said that India had never been a threat to Pakistan and termed the militant groups operating in occupied Kashmir as terrorists.
Sherry Rehamn said President Zardari’s visit to the US was a major success as the president effectively communicated to the global community Pakistan’s position on the war on terror as well as respect for its own territorial integrity.
**She said that President Zardari took the international community on board on issues pertaining to the scourge of militancy and extremism in Pakistan and on the significance of supporting Pakistan’s efforts to fight terrorism. **
**She said it should be noted that when the strategic forum of Friends of Pakistan was floated, the US Secretary of State, Rice was emphatic in asserting that they were supporting the Friends of a democratic Pakistan, making it clear that all the countries represented there had full confidence in the country’s new leadership. **
**Sherry said the president strongly conveyed to the international community the need for a joint counter-terrorism strategy, and for Pakistan’s allies to respond to its military and strategic requirements for fighting terrorism. **
**“Unilateral actions by the US often serve as a setback to our joint efforts against terrorism,” she said. **
**“Rather, as the president has said, they create a negative impact on Pakistan’s position on terrorism and turn the tide in favour of militancy.” **
**She said the President made it very clear that the just cause of Kashmir and its struggle for self-determination had been a consistent central position of the PPP for the last forty years. **
**“There has been no change in this policy,” said Ms Rehman. **
**“The President has never called the legitimate struggle of Kashmiris an expression of terrorism, nor has he downplayed the sufferings of the Kashmiris. All his statements on India should be viewed in the context of Pakistan’s current bilateral relations with that country.” **
The minister pointed to the ongoing Pakistan-India composite peace dialogue and several confidence-building measures as an example of better bilateral relations between the two countries. “However,” she said, “our efforts for peace with India will not be traded off with our principled stand on Kashmir.”