KARACHI: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani criticised on Friday US President Barack Obama’s statement that the civilian government in Pakistan was ‘fragile’, asserting that his government was strong and state institutions were functioning ‘effectively’. He was speaking at a news conference at the Chief Minister’s House after chairing a meeting on the law and order situation in Karachi. In reply to a question about the presence of the Taliban in Karachi, the prime minister said the government would not allow any space to extremists or militants. Earlier in the day, Mr Gilani had not ruled out the possibility of ‘foreign hand’ in the Karachi violence, and at the press conference he said: ‘Foreign elements make space for themselves whenever there is a vacuum.’ The PM declined to comment directly on statements of the US president and Centcom chief General David Petraeus about the civilian government and the security situation in Pakistan. However, he said his government had been in power for only one year, while Washington tolerated Gen Pervez Musharraf’s ‘non-democratic regime’ for nine years. At the meeting, the prime minister urged the Awami National Party leadership to reconsider its decision to hold protest rallies on May 12. He said his party had authorised him to hold talks with PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif on formulating a working relationship between the Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-N in Punjab. aThe prime minister announced Rs500,000 each for the deceased and Rs100,000 each for the injured of the Karachi violence. Dawn (Pakistan)
