June 29, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 24, 1429

PESHAWAR, June 28: The federal government supports peace deals signed by the NWFP government with militants in violence-prone areas of the province, but it will allow no one to challenge the government’s writ, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday.

Before leaving for Wali Bagh, Charsadda, to condole the death of Sangeen Wali Khan, the brother of ANP president Asfandyar Wali, the prime minister told journalists at the airport: “Pakistan People’s Party and the Awami National Party are … united to resolve people’s problems.” He was flanked by NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti and Adviser on Interior Rahman Malik.

Reassuring people that the federal government would not take any unilateral decision, Prime Minister Gilani said his government would honour peace accords. “The federal government will take its allies into confidence in running government affairs.”

Referring to recurrence of violence after the conclusion of peace accords, he said it should not have occurred. “Accords are meant to be honoured in letter and spirit.”

He said the government wanted to settle all issues peacefully.

Mr Gilani said that peace agreements were being signed with people who wanted to “lay down their arms and live in peace”.

The prime minister, however, warned of stern action against elements “bent on spoiling the peaceful atmosphere with an ulterior motive”.

“The government will not allow terrorists to use Pakistani soil for … their nefarious designs.”

Reiterating his government’s support for the provincial government’s efforts to curb what he termed pervasive lawlessness, he said the government would “use force as a last resort to establish the rule of law”.

He said that the government’s primary duty was maintenance of law and order.

He said that ever since his government had come into power, it had tried to settling issues with militants in a peaceful manner, avoiding the use of force. He said their efforts had yielded “some sort of normalcy in violence-hit areas”.

However, Mr Gilani made it clear that the government would not make any compromise in establishing its writ.

Highlighting the need to strengthen state institutions which had been destroyed by a tiny minority to advance its vested interests, he said prosperity and development were top government priorities.

He condemned foreign attacks inside Pakistan.