In this photo released by Pakistan's Press Information Department on Friday Jan. 9 2009, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, right, confers a civilian award Hilal-e-Pakistan to visiting U. S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Islamabad, Pakistan. Biden, who is on a day visit to Pakistan met Pakistani leadership to discuss the bilateral and regional security issues. (Pakistan has out smarted US Foreign Policy and a medal confers on U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden would earns Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari billion of dollars free military weapons and a four years of economic support. Bush's administration awarded Pervez Musharraf with US$ 10 billion military and economic aid package without any solution to Afghanistan instead escalating the war).
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani holds talks with U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Islamabad, January 9, 2009. Mr. Gilani said on Friday Pakistan had sent India a response to evidence from the Mumbai attacks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters the ISI “had given feedback and information sharing that has been passed on to India” after studying that evidence. He gave no more details.
On Wednesday, Mr. Gilani fired the national security adviser hours after the official told reporters the sole surviving Mumbai attacker was a Pakistani citizen — something that Islamabad had previously been unwilling to acknowledge.
Local media reported President Asif Ali Zardari was not informed of the decision, intensifying earlier media speculation of a split between the country's top two leaders.
Analysts say there is confusion at times over who is in charge in Pakistan.
Upon taking office Mr. Zardari promised to support reducing the president's powers, but there has been little visible progress on that front. Mr. Zardari, who also heads the ruling Pakistan People's Party, is believed to be stronger than Mr. Gilani, even though the prime minister is technically the chief executive of the government.
Both officials have sought to play down reports they are feuding.
“There is no misunderstanding,” Mr. Gilani insisted to reporters Friday, while denying reports that Mr. Zardari was displeased with the decision to sack the adviser, Mahmood Ali Durrani.
A Zardari spokesman said Thursday that the two were “on the same page” and it was Mr. Gilani's prerogative to fire Mr. Durrani.
The Mumbai attackers are suspected to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba — a militant group created by Pakistani intelligence agencies in the 1980s to fight Indian rule in Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by both countries and the trigger for two of their three wars.
Some analysts say the group maintains ties to Pakistani intelligence and that the government cannot act too aggressively against it as a result.
In recent weeks, several U.S. envoys have visited India and Pakistan to defuse tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours and press Islamabad to take action against extremists on its soil.
Mr. Biden travelled to Pakistan in his capacity as a U.S. senator from Delaware. He was accompanied by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. The veteran politician takes office as vice president on Jan. 20, but has not yet resigned his Senate seat.
According to a press statement, the Pakistani president assured Mr. Biden of Pakistan's commitment to “the war against militancy, extremism and terrorism.”
State media reported that Mr. Zardari also bestowed an award on Mr. Biden, the “Hilal-i-Pakistan,” to recognize Mr. Biden's “consistent support for democracy and socio-economic development in Pakistan and for his outstanding contribution to the strengthening of U.S.-Pakistan relations.”
Footage from the event showed Mr. Zardari handing Mr. Biden a medallion.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Pakistan PM Hands Information To India On Mumbai Attacks / Pakistan Continues To Resist India Pressure On Mumbai Attacks
Pakistan PM Hands Information To India On Mumbai Attacks / Pakistan Continues To Resist India Pressure On Mumbai Attacks / Pakistan Must Punish Mumbai Masterminds To Show Who Is In Charge
(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD — January 9, 2009: Pakistan's main spy agency has given India information about the Mumbai terror attacks, the prime minister said Friday, while denying media speculation of a rift between him and the president.
The comments came as U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden arrived in Pakistan for talks with the country's top leaders, including the prime minister and president. The U.S. Embassy confirmed the visit but gave few details, and press access was severely restricted.
The U.S. has an interest in the stability of Pakistan's civilian government — which is considered weak — because of its support for the American-led fight against global militancy. There are multiple centres of power within the government, and the military and Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency are believed to have significant independence.
The November attacks in Mumbai that killed 164 people underscored the threat terrorism poses to the whole of South Asia. New Delhi says it has passed on evidence to Islamabad that proves Pakistani militants were behind the slaughter. In this photo released by Pakistan's Press Information Department on Friday Jan. 9 2009, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, right, confers a civilian award Hilal-e-Pakistan to visiting U. S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Islamabad, Pakistan. Biden, who is on a day visit to Pakistan met Pakistani leadership to discuss the bilateral and regional security issues. (Pakistan has out smarted US Foreign Policy and a medal confers on U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden would earns Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari billion of dollars free military weapons and a four years of economic support. Bush's administration awarded Pervez Musharraf with US$ 10 billion military and economic aid package without any solution to Afghanistan instead escalating the war).
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani holds talks with U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Islamabad, January 9, 2009. Mr. Gilani said on Friday Pakistan had sent India a response to evidence from the Mumbai attacks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters the ISI “had given feedback and information sharing that has been passed on to India” after studying that evidence. He gave no more details.
On Wednesday, Mr. Gilani fired the national security adviser hours after the official told reporters the sole surviving Mumbai attacker was a Pakistani citizen — something that Islamabad had previously been unwilling to acknowledge.
Local media reported President Asif Ali Zardari was not informed of the decision, intensifying earlier media speculation of a split between the country's top two leaders.
Analysts say there is confusion at times over who is in charge in Pakistan.
Upon taking office Mr. Zardari promised to support reducing the president's powers, but there has been little visible progress on that front. Mr. Zardari, who also heads the ruling Pakistan People's Party, is believed to be stronger than Mr. Gilani, even though the prime minister is technically the chief executive of the government.
Both officials have sought to play down reports they are feuding.
“There is no misunderstanding,” Mr. Gilani insisted to reporters Friday, while denying reports that Mr. Zardari was displeased with the decision to sack the adviser, Mahmood Ali Durrani.
A Zardari spokesman said Thursday that the two were “on the same page” and it was Mr. Gilani's prerogative to fire Mr. Durrani.
The Mumbai attackers are suspected to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba — a militant group created by Pakistani intelligence agencies in the 1980s to fight Indian rule in Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by both countries and the trigger for two of their three wars.
Some analysts say the group maintains ties to Pakistani intelligence and that the government cannot act too aggressively against it as a result.
In recent weeks, several U.S. envoys have visited India and Pakistan to defuse tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours and press Islamabad to take action against extremists on its soil.
Mr. Biden travelled to Pakistan in his capacity as a U.S. senator from Delaware. He was accompanied by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. The veteran politician takes office as vice president on Jan. 20, but has not yet resigned his Senate seat.
According to a press statement, the Pakistani president assured Mr. Biden of Pakistan's commitment to “the war against militancy, extremism and terrorism.”
State media reported that Mr. Zardari also bestowed an award on Mr. Biden, the “Hilal-i-Pakistan,” to recognize Mr. Biden's “consistent support for democracy and socio-economic development in Pakistan and for his outstanding contribution to the strengthening of U.S.-Pakistan relations.”
Footage from the event showed Mr. Zardari handing Mr. Biden a medallion.
In this photo released by Pakistan's Press Information Department on Friday Jan. 9 2009, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, right, confers a civilian award Hilal-e-Pakistan to visiting U. S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Islamabad, Pakistan. Biden, who is on a day visit to Pakistan met Pakistani leadership to discuss the bilateral and regional security issues. (Pakistan has out smarted US Foreign Policy and a medal confers on U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden would earns Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari billion of dollars free military weapons and a four years of economic support. Bush's administration awarded Pervez Musharraf with US$ 10 billion military and economic aid package without any solution to Afghanistan instead escalating the war).
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani holds talks with U.S. Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Islamabad, January 9, 2009. Mr. Gilani said on Friday Pakistan had sent India a response to evidence from the Mumbai attacks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters the ISI “had given feedback and information sharing that has been passed on to India” after studying that evidence. He gave no more details.
On Wednesday, Mr. Gilani fired the national security adviser hours after the official told reporters the sole surviving Mumbai attacker was a Pakistani citizen — something that Islamabad had previously been unwilling to acknowledge.
Local media reported President Asif Ali Zardari was not informed of the decision, intensifying earlier media speculation of a split between the country's top two leaders.
Analysts say there is confusion at times over who is in charge in Pakistan.
Upon taking office Mr. Zardari promised to support reducing the president's powers, but there has been little visible progress on that front. Mr. Zardari, who also heads the ruling Pakistan People's Party, is believed to be stronger than Mr. Gilani, even though the prime minister is technically the chief executive of the government.
Both officials have sought to play down reports they are feuding.
“There is no misunderstanding,” Mr. Gilani insisted to reporters Friday, while denying reports that Mr. Zardari was displeased with the decision to sack the adviser, Mahmood Ali Durrani.
A Zardari spokesman said Thursday that the two were “on the same page” and it was Mr. Gilani's prerogative to fire Mr. Durrani.
The Mumbai attackers are suspected to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba — a militant group created by Pakistani intelligence agencies in the 1980s to fight Indian rule in Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by both countries and the trigger for two of their three wars.
Some analysts say the group maintains ties to Pakistani intelligence and that the government cannot act too aggressively against it as a result.
In recent weeks, several U.S. envoys have visited India and Pakistan to defuse tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours and press Islamabad to take action against extremists on its soil.
Mr. Biden travelled to Pakistan in his capacity as a U.S. senator from Delaware. He was accompanied by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. The veteran politician takes office as vice president on Jan. 20, but has not yet resigned his Senate seat.
According to a press statement, the Pakistani president assured Mr. Biden of Pakistan's commitment to “the war against militancy, extremism and terrorism.”
State media reported that Mr. Zardari also bestowed an award on Mr. Biden, the “Hilal-i-Pakistan,” to recognize Mr. Biden's “consistent support for democracy and socio-economic development in Pakistan and for his outstanding contribution to the strengthening of U.S.-Pakistan relations.”
Footage from the event showed Mr. Zardari handing Mr. Biden a medallion.
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