LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the government is ready to talk to anyone in troubled areas provided he is willing to “decommission” himself. He said he was avoiding to use the word ‘surrender’ because it was against tribal culture and traditions.

Talking to a group of reporters here on Sunday, the prime minister said: “We are ready to hold talks with everybody who is willing to decommission oneself.”

He rejected Afghan allegations of Pakistan’s alleged involvement in the assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani and stressed that only unity against the common enemy (terrorists) could ensure victory for both countries.

When asked how would the government satisfy the opposition and implement the decisions of the All Party Conference, he said a committee formed by the APC would give recommendations while a parliamentary body would oversee theenforcement.

He said the government had successfully used the three-D policy — dialogue, development and deterrence — in Swat and would continue to implement the same policy. He said the US also was reconciling itself with the Taliban in Afghanistan and, therefore, it could not lecture others to continue the use of force. “We’ll do whatever is in our national interest.”

The prime minister denied that the government had reached any agreement with the US about drone attacks or ground operations. Had it been the case, the WikiLeaks would have exposed it by now, he added.

He told a questioner that bringing together all voices, civil and military and within and outside parliament, was a gigantic task and the consensus at the APC had sent a loud and clear message to all that “we all are united in the larger national interest and that the military establishment is under the civilian control”.

Replying to a question about the APC boycott by some Baloch nationalist leaders, he said those who did not attend did not differ on the issue for which the APC had been convened and their boycott was actually in view of “ground realities”.

He would not elaborate “ground realities”, but it implied complaints of Baloch nationalists about the army operation and the issue of missing people in Balochistan.

About creation of Seraiki province, Mr Gilani said the issue had been referred to the manifesto committee of the PPP and the issue would be considered in accordance with provisions of the Constitution.