July 07, 2008	Monday	Rajab 3, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 6: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has condemned the Islamabad blast and ordered an inquiry.

According to an official handout, Adviser on Interior Rahman Malik, who updated the prime minister on the overall law and order situation, with special reference to demonstrations and day-long conference on the first anniversary of the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa crackdown in Islamabad and the operation in tribal areas.

The prime minister said that such incidents were against the teachings of Islam and did not serve any purpose.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, the prime minister asked the authorities to provide the injured with the best possible medical care.

The anniversary of the Lal Masjid siege was marked by a conference held outside the mosque, not far from the site of the blast.

The prime minister is reported to have asked the ministry of interior to ensure people’s confidence in government measures for maintaining law and order and assure them that it was taking all possible measures to avert such incidents.

The adviser told the prime minister that after the operation against the Lashkar-i-Islam, Ansarul Islam and Haji Namdar’s group, which were running a parallel government in the tribal area near Peshawar, the situation was calm and under complete control of civilian forces.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Parvaiz Ashraf and Adviser on Religious Affairs Allama Hamid Saeed Kazmi also called on the premier to inform him about their ministries’ performance.

The prime minister said the government believed in resolving all issues through consultations and dialogue and considered using force only as the last option.

Referring to the handling of Lal Masjid demonstration, Mr Malik said that on the directives of the prime minister, police had been kept ‘invisible’ and instructed to avoid use of force.

Raja Parvaiz Ashraf updated the prime minister on steps being taken by his ministry to overcome energy shortage.

The prime minister called for ending load-shedding by the end of next year.