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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said that the judiciary in Pakistan was fully independent and if any concrete evidence against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was provided, action would be taken against him according to the law.
Responding to a point of order raised by Leader of the Opposition in the National assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan during the joint session of the Parliament, the prime minister said it was an internal matter of the country and the Foreign Office had already given the government's point of view on it.
He said another case was referred to the court in the past, in which the judiciary acted independently and set the accused free after founding no evidence.
Gilani said yesterday he talked with visiting US Deputy Foreign Secretary Thomas R Nides that the joint session of the parliament was setting new rules of engagement with the United States and positive messages should come from the US side as negative statements would further increase lack of trust between the two countries.
About the forthcoming visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to India, he said that the president was visiting India in his private capacity to pay homage to great saint Moeenuddin Chisti in Ajmir Sharif. “Even if any policy matter is discussed during the meeting with the Indian prime minster, we will take the parliament into confidence,” he added.
“We are discussing all the core issues, including Kashmir, Siachen and water, with India and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a joint press conference had agreed with him to put all the cards on the table. He (Singh) is ready to discuss all the issues, including Kashmir,” the prime minister said.
He said that the government would not take any step against the dignity and respect of the country as national interest was more supreme to it.
He said that it was a complement for the people of Pakistan that the Indian prime minister termed him a man of peace.
After the restoration of parliamentary system, all the decisions are being taken by the chief executive of the country and the government will take the parliament into confidence about the president's visit, he added.
The premier said that he also talked to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif about Hafiz Saeed issue and took him into confidence.
Meanwhile, members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged a walkout from the parliament’s session in protest to recent hike in petroleum products’ prices.
