gilani-660
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. - File Photo

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said here on Tuesday that an official working in the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on deputation couldn’t dictate the government to give record of Prime Minister’s House.

“The ANF is an institution of the federal government that works under a ministry headed by a minister as well as a secretary and director general. How an official working purely on a deputation basis in a department of the federal government can write a letter or dictate the government in this regard?”, he said while commenting on a report about a letter relating to the so-called ephedrine quota scam sent by an ANF official seeking the record of visitors to PM’s House since January 2009.

Talking to reporters after addressing the convocation of a private educational institution at the Lahore Expo Centre, he said he was the prime minister of 180 million people of the country and a subordinate of his couldn’t write a letter to PM’s House in this manner. Replying to a question, he said: “We will make the Seraiki province with consensus by involving all stakeholders, including political parties, in the process.” He said the name of the new province was not important.

Commenting on Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s statement against the setting up of a ‘Seraiki bank’ in south Punjab, he said setting up banks was a subject of the federal government.

“There are many national and international banks established and working in the country under regulations of the federal government and the plan to set up the Seraiki bank cannot be stopped on the desire of anyone.”

Talking about the situation in Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and other areas, he said maintaining law and order was primarily the responsibility of provinces but the federal government couldn’t ignore its responsibilities in this regard.

Replying to a question, he said he had asked Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to sit together to resolve the issues of Siachen, Sir Creek, Kashmir and terrorism.

He said he believed that “Mr Singh also wants to resolve all issues between the two countries”.

Paying tribute to the soldiers missing after an avalanche in Siachen, the prime minister said he had called a meeting of the defence committee to get a detailed briefing on rescue work.

He said the government would take action against elements involved in the Bannu jail break.

Opinion

Editorial

Maulana’s message
Updated 11 Mar, 2025

Maulana’s message

The problem now is that most jihadi fighters, ideologues refuse to end their "struggle" on advice of state or mainstream clerics.
President’s speech
11 Mar, 2025

President’s speech

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari, addressing Monday’s joint session of parliament to mark the start of a new parliamentary...
Indian takeover
11 Mar, 2025

Indian takeover

BY the time the Champions Trophy final ended, the only indicators that the tournament had been hosted by Pakistan...
Mosquito season
10 Mar, 2025

Mosquito season

AS temperatures rise, the threat of dengue looms large over Pakistan. Its warning signs have already arrived. Dengue...
Reckless rhetoric
10 Mar, 2025

Reckless rhetoric

ONCE again, the Indian leadership gave in to their worst impulses, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar...
Water scarcity
Updated 10 Mar, 2025

Water scarcity

The need to meet climate challenge is even greater when Pakistan is prone to multiple disastrous events at the same time.