By IRNA
Islamabad : Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilnai on Saturday called upon the militants to lay down arms for dialogue with his new government.
Earlier the National Assembly, lower house of the parliament, unanimously gave vote of confidence to the Prime Minister after all the opposition groups extended their support.
“Unfortunately, some people have adopted violence as the source of expression of their opinion.
As the democracy has now started, I urge all those people to give up the way of violence and join us in the democratic journey.
We are ready to hold talks with all those who lay down arms and adopt the path of peace,” Gilani said in his first policy statement after the confidence vote.
“Restoration of peace and end to terrorism is our first priority.
War on terrorism is our own war, as a large number innocent children and innocent youth have martyred in the country,” the prime minister said.
He said tribal regions are backward for a long time and comprehensive social, economic and political reforms are needed as poverty and illiteracy have promoted terrorism in the areas.
“We will give a special package to the tribal areas to deal with these problems that will be one of the bases of our anti-terror policy,” the Prime Minister said.
He announced end to the British-era Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) laws in the tribal regions, under which the decisions in the areas were being decided by the local authorities which could not be challenged in any court.
Gilani said that Pakistan is passing through a difficult time and the nation is facing a lot of challenges.
“But I am not worried of the challenges.
With the grace of Allah Almighty we will deal with all the challenges,” he said.