ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Monday Parliament would finally decide the fate of a US bill that promises Islamabad $1.5 billion in social and military aid.
Gilani was speaking to journalists at Chaklala Air Base before leaving on a six-day official visit to China.
The prime minister is scheduled to attend the 8th Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Council of Heads of Government meeting in Beijing on Oct. 14. He will also hold bilateral talks with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other Chinese leaders.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) emerged in 2001 from the originally conceived Chinese initiative of the Shanghai-Five mechanism. The SCO meets at the heads of state and the heads of government levels separately every year. Pakistan attends the meetings as an observer.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi flew to the United States on Monday to convey his government’s concerns about the Kerry-Lugar bill that links some funds to fighting terrorism and which critics say violates the country’s sovereignty.
“Pakistan has certain reservations over some sections of the bill,” Gilani said, adding that Qureshi would raise those concerns with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other US officials.
The Pakistani Army last week voiced “serious concern” about the impact of aspects of the bill on national security. President Asif Ali Zardari and Gilani met the army chief and the chief of the main military intelligence agency at the weekend and agreed to take their concerns to Washington.
“I am going to Washington with the support of the political and military leadership of Pakistan, and there I will share with them our concerns and the concerns of our Parliament,” Qureshi told reporters.
“Keeping in view the mandate given to me, I will now engage the US administration and the legislators. The objective is to keep and protect our supreme national interests,” Qureshi said.
He said the bill was very important for Pakistan, given the country’s economic problems. “You cannot deny the significance of the assistance Pakistan is getting through this bill,” he said.
— With input from agencies
