ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the government is taking up the issue of law and order in the country seriously and has decided to beef up police force and reform the monitoring system.

“The four chief ministers have been directed to adopt a coordinated approach to improve law and order, especially by creating additional police force and improving the monitoring system”, he told Dawn on Thursday.

The interior ministry has been given the special task of ensuring coordination, he added.

To improve police training, he said, the provinces had been asked to adopt modern methods used in developed countries.

Although law and order was a provincial subject, the prime minister said the federal government could not ignore the fact that the citizens and their property had to be protected.

He said he had held an important meeting earlier this week to discuss the law and order situation with federal and provincial officials.

“Those who fail in fulfilling their responsibilities will be taken to task,” the prime minister warned.

He said improved security situation could help attract local and foreign investments for which four chief ministers were expected to take new measures shortly.

Answering a question, he claimed differences between the Pakistan Muslim League and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had been sorted out during his meeting with PML and Muttahida leaders on Wednesday.

“We have decided to take all our coalition partners, including the MQM, into confidence on all issues”.

Asked whether he planned to contest the next general election, he said he would certainly take part in the polls scheduled for 2007. “But I cannot say if I will again run for the post of prime minister as this issue will be decided by the ruling party”, he added.

He said 2007 election would be held in a fair manner and there was no truth in the claim of the opposition parties that they would be rigged.

Talking about Pakistan-India relations, he said Islamabad strived for peace and wanted to resolve outstanding issues with India through talks. He expressed the hope that composite dialogue and secretary- level talks would resume soon.

However, Mr Aziz said sustainable peace could not be achieved without resolving the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiris.

Answering another question, he said out of $6.7 billion pledged by international donors for rehabilitation and reconstruction of earthquake-hit areas, $2.7 billion was part of the grant component (both in kind and cash) and the remaining $4 billion in the shape of soft loan.

Pakistan, he said, did not accept $600 million loan, including $400 million from the IMF, as it was offered on hard conditions.

“Now the balance of $3.4 billion is being negotiated with the donors, out of which $1.4 billion is under process and is likely to be disbursed soon”, he said, adding that the government expected that most of the remaining loan would comprise 56 per cent grant element.

The prime minister termed as unjustified the criticism being made against the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority for delaying payment of compensation to the survivors. He said Erra had undertaken a massive job which could cause some delay but its intentions could not be doubted.