Institutions need to be strengthened: Shujaat
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—US Assistant Secretary of States for South Asia Richard Boucher on Friday called on PML (Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.Briefing the media on the meeting, Chaudhry Shujaat said the meeting discussed the overall political scenario and the democratic process in the country.
“It looks like that Mr. Boucher is on a study tour to Pakistan. The meeting discussed the democratic process. Both the sides were unanimous that the democratic institutions must be strengthened,” he said.
The PML (Q) president said, “We told him that the matters of national importance would be discussed in the parliament and all decisions would be made at the parliament which is the proper forum for this.”
When the PML leader was asked whether the US official sought his party’s support for President Pervez Musharraf, Shujaat said the meeting “discussed the institutions and not individuals”.
Brushing aside the impression that the US official came to him with some proposals, Shujaat said the PML does not take any “dictation” and it had its own policies.
“During my tenure as prime minister, I rejected pressure for sending Pakistani troops to Iraq. Rather, the matter was taken to the parliament and after a weeklong discussion, the parliament decision was followed and troops were not sent to Iraq,” he said.
Secretary General of the party Mushahid Hussain added that the PML (Q) government had also rejected pressure regarding gas pipeline project with Iran. “Our government also rejected pressure by recognizing the Hamas Government in Palestine,” he said.
When asked whether the meeting had discussed the ongoing war on terror, he said the meeting did not take up the issue. He also rejected the notion that the meeting had discussed the issue of tribal areas.
Mushahid also said there was no discussion over the deposed judges issue, saying that the US official was holding talks with all political parties to discuss the post-polls scenario.
He said both sides wanted strengthening of the democratic system. He said Ch. Shujaat had told the US diplomat that the party wanted democratic institutions to be fortified in the country and it would support the government over the issue.
“We believe in telling the masses truth and not making false statements. There are politicians who are telling lies to the nation over this issue. They discuss the issues in their meetings and tell the people otherwise,” he said, adding that the US official had also briefed him over his meetings with other political leaders.
Head of the JUI-F, Maulana Fazl ur Rehman has said that use of force for the elimination of extremism and terrorism is not the solution of the issue and rather it should be solved through dialogue and political process. Fazl ur Rehman expressed these views while addressing a press conference after meeting with the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard A. Boucher here on Friday.
Senator Azam Swati, Senator Talha Mehmood also accompanied Maulana Fazl ur Rehman on the occasion. He said that newly formed government would not be able continue its war on terror and it would have to find solution of these crisis through dialogue. While talking about his meeting with Richard Boucher he said that the meeting was held in cordial atmosphere and they have discussed issues of current and regional international matter.
Maulana Fazl ur Rehman said that we should give up the course of aggressive attitude against war on terror and solve the matter through dialogue and political process. He further said that what is being carried out in the name of operation in the Iraq and Afghanistan is totally wrong and against the human rights.