June 27, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1429

ISLAMABAD, June 26: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that improving the law and order situation and reviving the economy are top priorities of his government.

Talking to a delegation of the Pakistani Americans Public Affairs Committee and prominent Pakistanis from Britain here on Thursday, he said the government was conscious of the fact that creating conducive conditions were necessary to accelerate economic development and encourage domestic and foreign investment in the country.

He said a three-pronged strategy had been devised to deal with extremism by initiating dialogue with elements that had joined the mainstream political activity after laying down arms, by accelerating economic development in these areas and by resorting to military option if agreements were violated.

He said Pakistan could not allow a handful of extremists to impose their version of Islam on the moderate majority, especially when their version militates against Islam’s eternal message of peace, moderation, tolerance and universal brotherhood.

Mr Gilani said the government was engaged in the process of strengthening democratic norms, establishing parliamentary supremacy and restoring the 1973 Constitution so that democracy was not derailed in the future.

He said that PPP was a federal party and his unanimous election to the office of the prime minister being a non-Bhutto and a non-Sindhi was living proof of it.

The prime minister asked the delegation leaders to help project the true and correct image of Islam and Pakistan and make sustained efforts to dispel misperceptions about Islam and the country in the West.

He said Pakistan needed foreign direct investment, especially for power generation projects and construction of dams.

The delegation leaders said they would raise the government programme in the policy-making and influential circles in the US and the UK.