KARACHI, July 2: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the operation against militants in tribal areas should be “result-oriented and conclusive” without causing inconvenience to the people.

He gave the directive after the federal cabinet was given an in-camera briefing by his adviser, Rehman Malik, at the Governor’s House on Wednesday.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman told reporters after the cabinet meeting that there was a consensus on the issue, “to the satisfaction of the prime minister”.

Asked about the PML-N’s claim that it was not taken into confidence on the operation, she said the operation had been launched on the request of the NWFP governor and the chief minister and after consultation with all coalition partners.

Ms Rehman said the government had evolved a three-pronged strategy which focused on economic development and security. She said the government wanted to provide health and education to the people of tribal areas, besides creating employment opportunities through Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) on the border areas with Afghanistan.

In reply to a question about the presence of American intelligence personnel in the tribal areas, Mr Rehman said it was a “speculative” story and the government had “no material evidence” about their presence.

She said that a “sub-jirga” of Pakistan and Afghanistan would be convened soon.

She said the IPI pipeline project was no more a distant reality. “India and Pakistan have resolved commercial differences which have been holding up the project. At the same time, a gas sale and purchase agreement between Iran and Pakistan has been finalised and the project is set to take off in the near future.”

The minister said the government was trying to stabilise flour prices and the ECC had on Tuesday approved the release of wheat to deficient areas and import by the private sector to bring parity in prices.

In reply to a question about 31 per cent rise in gas prices, she said that 91 per cent of the consumers would not be affected by the increase. “Only CNG stations and captive power units will pay higher prices,” she said, adding that the gas price revision had excluded feedstock gas price for the fertiliser sector to ensure availability of fertiliser to farmers at reasonable rates.

The cabinet meeting approved the IRO Act, which envisages freedom of trade union activities. It will replace the IRO of 2002.

She said the government was committed to ending loadshedding by December next year and claimed the government had made all arrangements to feed more than 3,000MW to the national grid.

Ms Rehman said the prime minister had asked the ministry of industries to open utility outlets in every union council to provide basic food items to people at subsidised rates.

The meeting also approved a summary prepared by the ministry of industries regarding an incentive package for investment in petrochemical complex, naphtha cracker, polyethylene and polypropylene.

She said the privatisation programme for 2008-09 had been finalised. “The new privatisation initiative will ensure that the process is well-planned, transparent and pro-worker. The employees of state-owned enterprises will be given 10 per cent shares of their respective entities.”

She said the Balochistan government would fill 10,000 vacancies, including 2,400 newly-created posts and 7,500 vacant posts during the current financial year.