Gilani snubs calls for new provinces

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Prime minister hopes upcoming meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Egypt will yield positive results

By Irfan Ghauri

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday rejected the demand for new provinces, saying that such talk would open a ‘Pandora’s box’.

Talking to reporters after chairing a convocation at a girls’ college, Gilani said, “Pakistan is passing through difficult times. It is the frontline state in the war on terror. The country faces economic challenges and energy crises and we have to focus on strengthening the federation. Talking about more provinces would open another Pandora’s box”.

Earlier this week, President Asif Ali Zardari had also rejected the demand for additional provinces during a PPP meeting and warned of disciplinary action against parliamentarians who raised the issue of splitting Punjab into smaller provinces.

Gilani said the formation of more provinces required constitutional amendments, which he said were not possible, as political parties lacked a consensus on the issue.

He said Pakistan wanted friendly relations with all its neighbours, including India, Iran and Afghanistan.

High hopes: To a question about his upcoming meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Egypt, Gilani said the meeting would be an encouraging step forward and hoped that such confidence-building measures would yield positive results.

Commenting on the military operation, the prime minister said security forces had cleared a number of areas of the Taliban, adding that cantonments would be established in Swat and Buner to ensure a permanent military presence there.

He said steps would also be taken for building the capacity of police forces and good governance would be guaranteed in order to ensure that extremists do not crop up again.

Gilani said he had informed United States congressmen that the deployment of additional US troops in Afghanistan would destabilise the situation in Balochistan.

He said the US congressmen had assured that US forces would not let the Taliban cross into Pakistan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2009_pg1_1