ISLAMABAD, May 28: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday said he had directed the State Bank of Pakistan and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan to cooperate with any agency that might contact them on account of investigations into the case of insider trading in the United States.

He, however, said there was no evidence of the presence of an FBI team in Pakistan to probe into the insider trading case in the US. The prime minister had been asked to comment at a news conference on reports that an FBI team was in Pakistan and questioning many people.

Responding to another question on reported illegal immigration of 10,000 Pakistanis to Turkey for onward immigration to Europe, the prime minister said Pakistan had arrangements with many regional countries and the Ministry of Interior was coordinating with Iran and Turkey to put an end to this menace of human smuggling.

He said Pakistan was against human smuggling and supported legal immigration of skilled Pakistanis who could build the country’s image abroad.

The premier seemed delighted when a question relating to alleged negative comments against army generals at a last week function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association was asked and gave a detailed reply although he sidestepped many questions relating to the economic situation. He said the Supreme Court of Pakistan had allowed the function, which should now review its decision of allowing such an event, evaluate it and take action accordingly.

He said the apex court had allowed the function on the condition that the occasion would not be used for political purposes or for character assassination. He said it was not appropriate for anybody to speak against the army, its integrity and respect. “The army is an important asset and we strongly condemn use of such language against the army.”

The prime minister said the “army has supported us in difficult times like in earthquakes and floods and any statement that could hurt feeling or morale of the forces is deplorable”. He said negative comments were also made at the SCBA function against former judges and it was now for the Supreme Court to take notice of it.

When asked under what law the president had asked the people to forget about killings in Karachi on March 12 and why the government was shying away from appointing an inquiry commission, Mr Aziz very briefly said the Sindh High Court had now constituted a panel for investigations.