ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said Pakistan will cooperate with India in investigating the Mumbai attacks, but under its own laws.

“Pakistan is ready to cooperate with India to investigate the Mumbai attacks,” he told reporters after inaugurating the Islamabad Expressway.

Mr Gilani said Pakistan itself was a victim of terrorism and had conveyed its point of view to India.

Answering a question about his Interior Adviser Rehman Malik’s meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister said he might have met him because of some official business or work related to his department. The government, he said, had not asked Mr Malik to convey any message to Mr Sharif.

Referring to the National Finance Award, he said a commission had been constituted and work on the regularisation of contract employees was under way through a cabinet committee.

The provinces, he said, had nominated people for the NFC and the government would soon settle issues like the concurrent list and the NFC in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

About the new US administration, Mr Gilani said that people in the United States had voted for change because they did not endorse the policies of the Bush administration.

About the situation in Swat, Mr Gilani said the National Assembly had adopted a unanimous resolution on the issue and would soon convene a meeting to look into the matter in detail.

Highlighting the government’s efforts for improving people’s lives, the prime minister said the government would soon introduce a health insurance scheme for the poor.

The government, Mr Gilani said, would ensure the scheme’s transparency by providing national identity cards to all citizens. “Nadra has been directed to provide every citizen ID cards for free and ensure that no eligible person is missed.”

The government, he said, had been forced to take some “difficult decisions” to bring the country on the right track because of serious economic recession.

The government, he said, was focussing on development projects to bring about a positive change in people’s standard of living.

He said terrorism and economy were two main issues confronting the government, adding that improvement in law and order would attract more foreign investment.

The prime minister said the government realised that inflation had burdened the common man and the Benazir Income Support Programme was aimed at providing basic support to low-income households.