US Afghan Policy: government took all stakeholders into confidence, says Qureshi

The government took all the stakeholders including military leadership into confidence about the new Afghan Policy of Obama administration, said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi here on Tuesday. Barack Obama send a special communiqué to President Zardari through his National Security Advisor, General James Jhones, to take Pakistani leadership into confidence regarding the upcoming US Afghan Policy, Qureshi said while addressing a press conference.
He said President Zardari consulted the military and political leadership on the issue and there is complete unanimity among them. To a question, the Foreign Minister said, "We are not against deployment of more US troops in Afghanistan but we want close co-ordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan."
He said that US President in his communiqué had stated that America wanted to deploy more troops in Afghanistan to wipe out Taliban and al Qaeda and in this regard he want to take Pakistani leadership into confidence. When asked about Pakistan's response to the US Afghan policy, Qureshi said that Pakistan was waiting for the announcement of the policy.
"We will examine the policy when it will be released and then we will be in a position to give any response", he added. He told media that National Security Advisor of US President has called on Prime Minister Gilani in Berlin and talked to him about the new Afghan Policy.
Foreign Minister termed Prime Minister Gilani's visit to Germany as successful, saying that it will help open new vistas of development and investment in Pakistan. "Germany and Pakistan, during this visit, have agreed to hold a strategic dialogue to review the ongoing co-operation," he said, adding that it was decided that a Foreign Minister level committee would initiate the process.
"It was decided that Germany will support Pakistan in particular areas including energy, economy, security, education and science and technology and a strategic dialogue between the two countries will be held soon," he added. Qureshi said that a new version of Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) was signed between the two countries. He said that under the new treaty German government would provide guarantee to German investors in Pakistan besides provide them credit.
The new treaty would provide a two-layer mechanism for resolution of the disputes of the investors and German Government has decided to take all the previous investors under the cover of the new treaty, he added. Qureshi termed Prime Minister Gilani's meetings with German President Hoest Koehler, Chancellor Angela Markel, President German Parliament Norbert Lammert and Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Parliament, as fruitful saying that the German leadership praised Pakistan's efforts in war against terrorism and restoration of democracy in the country.
"It is seldom that in just three hours the whole German leadership met Prime Minister Gilani and assured full support for Pakistan's socio-economic development," he said. He said that German leadership praised the restoration of judiciary in Pakistan. "German Chancellor was of the view that the new vibrant judiciary will help in complete transparency in the political and economic system of Pakistan", he added.