LAHORE: Federal Information Minister Qamaruzzaman Kaira, who is also acting-governor of Gilgit-Baltistan, has said that the terror attack on army’s General Headquarters was not a security lapse as the terrorists were effectively stopped at the first picket established to check any intruder.

Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Saturday, the minister said that the terrorists were on the run as most of their leadership had been killed. They were desperate and were resorting to attacks to prevent the return of 2.5 million Swat and Dir IDPs to their homes.

He said that the law-enforcing agencies and the army was fully prepared to defeat them. Terrorism had been routed out from Swat and isolated incidences would soon stop.

He said that successful operation against terrorism had proved that efforts of entire nation were required to fight the scourge. It could not be controlled by any government institution alone. The US had failed to make even Kabul secure even after spending billions of dollars because the people were not backing its forces. He said that Pakistan had been established with a concept of a welfare state but had become a security state and become the victim of terrorism because of the CIA and MI6.

Referring to the Kerry-Lugar bill, he said that it was an American legislation which had been moved as Biden-Lugar bill during the tenure of General Pervez Musharraf. The Pakistani government had got the terms for aid softened and aid increased from $1 billion to 1.5 billion per annum and its period extended to 5 years through negotiations with the United States administration.

Referring to the conditions in Kerry-Lugar bill, he said that even a bank prescribed conditions while advancing loans while it pertained to aid. The bill, however, did not contain conditions that were in conflict with the stated policies of Pakistan including opposition to dictatorship, terrorism and nuclear proliferation. Final decision on the bill would, however, be taken by the parliament.

Kaira said the government wanted trade instead of aid and access to world markets. The government also wanted to reduce taxes and duties to reduce the cost of industrial inputs which was higher than other countries of the world in the region. The government wanted to promote large scale manufacturing and SMEs because the public sector could provide jobs to only a few hundred thousand out of 10 million unemployed young men and women in the country.

He said Pakistan People’s Party would never compromise on the nuclear programme because it had lost its founder chairperson for initiating it. He said that Pakistan had been isolated after Mumbai attacks but had revived its diplomatic relations with the world through the much-criticised foreign visits of President Asif Ali Zardari. The Friends of Democratic Pakistan forum had been formed through the efforts of President Zardari.

He said that Benazir Bhutto had initiated a policy of reconciliation because the politics of confrontation could not work in politics. President Zardari had sought apology from the people of Balochistan despite the fact that the PPP government had not committed any excesses against them. Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani would announce a relief package for them in the near future.

He said the government had come into power at a crucial time when the global economy was in turmoil and local productivity was declining. The government had taken some unpopular decisions in the supreme interest of the country. Increase in interest rate had saved the country from mega inflation. The government was now bringing down the interest rate and intended to bring the same to a single digit.

He said the government had started land acquisition to start work on Basha dam after bidding in June.