Zardari, Gilani condemn attack on Pakistan Army HQ

October 9th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that a high level meeting would soon be convened to discuss the controversial Kerry Lugar Bill and its implications. The participant of the meeting would include President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi apart from Gilani himself.

October 6th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have vowed to launch a full-scale military offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in South Waziristan. Their decision comes in the wake of the recent reports claiming that the Pakistan Army is all set to launch a ground offensive in the Taliban stronghold, as it has stationed the required helicopters at bases in the area.

August 18th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is not interested in dragging former President General Pervez Musharraf to the court of law, but rather favours reconciliation with the former general. Zardari said the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) favours reconciliation with Musharraf, and that the fate of the ex-Army chief would be decided by the parliament.

August 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the final decision regarding the fate of former President General Pervez Musharraf would be taken by Parliament. Commenting on the Supreme Court's verdict that declared Musharraf's November 3, 2007 actions as 'extra-judicial and unconstitutional', Gilani said Parliament is the appropriate forum to take decisions of national interest.

July 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has dismissed reports of any misunderstandings with President Asif Ali Zardari, saying that he regularly interacts with Zardari. "I meet the president regularly and have frequent telephonic conversations with him on all issues," the Daily Times quoted Gilani, as saying.

July 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would meet Dr. Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt on July 16, the Pakistan Foreign Office has said.

July 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the military offensive against the Taliban would continue until all the extremists are rooted out from the country. "The fight against militancy and terrorism will end with the complete elimination of militants," Zardari said during a meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani here.

June 11th, 2009 QUETTA - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said India and Pakistan cannot afford to be engaged in military combat. Addressing national and foreigner army officers at the Command and Staff College here, Gilani said neither Pakistan nor India could afford war and expressed his desire that bilateral talks between both countries should resume as soon as possible.

May 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated his pledge to defeat the Taliban, saying victory against the extremists is the only option available in the in Swat and Malakand regions of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). "Defeat is no option.

April 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator John Kerry met President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Monday. Officials privy to the talks between Kerry and Gilani were quoted by the Dawn as saying that the Pakistan Prime Minister had told Senator Kerry that Pakistan does not want the US to base its aid on conditions linked to the campaign against militancy.

March 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Monday called off the 'Long March' of opposition politicians and lawyers after incumbent Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced that deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry would be reinstated on March 21 after present Chief Justice Dogar retires. In an address to the nation, Gilani declared that President Zardari had agreed to most of Nawaz Sharif's demands.

March 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Tuesday strongly condemned the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore and ordered an immediate enquiry. Zardari asked the authorities concerned to immediately investigate the incident so that the perpetrators are identified and their motives exposed.

March 3rd, 2009 RANCHI - Fans of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday burnt an effigy of Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and condemned the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistani city of Lahore. Hundreds of cricket lovers of the Dhoni Fans Club gathered near the Albert Ekka roundabout and shouted slogans like 'Pakistan Murdabad, Zardari hai hai, Taliban hai hai' (condemning Pakistan, Zardari and the Taliban).

February 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least six people were killed and 13 others injured Tuesday in a bomb blast in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar, a TV report said. The bomb was placed in a vehicle outside the house of a local official, the report said.

February 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani Thursday strongly condemned the bomb blast in eastern Pakistan that killed at least 25 people and more than 20 others injured. In their separate messages, both Zardari and Gilani deplored the loss of innocent lives and directed the health authorities to provide best medical care to the injured.