http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-14220-Pakistan-again-seeks-US-apology-on-Salala-attack
Mariana BaabarSaturday, April 28, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday, at the highest level, once again asked the United States to apologise for the US-led air strikes at the Salala check-post last November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, so that there could be a "closure" and both countries could move on.
The well-deserved US apology would also help facilitate many other issues like Pakistan's decision to attend the forthcoming Nato summit in Chicago next month and a green signal from Rawalpindi to reopen the land route for the Nato supplies to Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari asked for a US apology when Ambassador Marc Grossman, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. He also met with Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani and held a press conference at the Foreign Office with Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Luddin. The prime minister told Grossman that Pakistan wanted a relationship with the US based on mutual respect and mutual interest.
According to the president's spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, Zardari told Grossman, "After Pakistan side has followed the democratic course for the re-engagement with the United States to be based on transparency, mutual interest and respect, it was now the US turn to fully appreciate the democratic course and to help Pakistan in reaching closure on Salala, by helping the Pakistan government follow the path as indicated by the parliament."
The US because of its own political constraints refuses to apologise for the Pakistani killings, and on Wednesday the best that Grossman could do was to offer his "regrets".Initially, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had offered to make a public apology at a joint press conference in London to Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. But Pakistan wanted the apology delayed till the recommendations from parliament became public.
Besides a US apology, Zardari also impressed upon Grossman the urgency of addressing the delayed CSF reimbursements to Pakistan, which had become a sticking point in the relationship.
Zardari also brought up the issue of unjustified drone strikes inside Pakistan, and said that now there was the need for evolving a mechanism for counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.
The president, according to his spokesman, said Pakistan has always maintained that drone attacks were highly counterproductive in the war against militants as it inflamed public sentiments due to innocent civilian casualties. He said both the sides should consider setting up a framework of mechanism to find mutually acceptable alternatives.
The US was told that Pakistan wanted to re-engage with it at all levels in the light of parliamentary review. However, Zardari reminded Grossman that the international community should share the financial and economic cost of services and goods involved in the process.
The president said, "With Defence Committee of the Cabinet proceedings underway, Pakistan has already initiated an inter-agency consultation process and broad parameters have been developed for an agreement on Isaf/Nato supplies through Pakistan."
Later, Grossman said, "We want these ground lines of communication to be opened and we want them to be opened safely and that is the important part of the agreement. And obviously we will be the part of the responsibility the government of Pakistan will undertake."
Shoaib A Raja adds: President Zardari said Pakistan needs more attention in the areas of energy generation, infrastructure development, water management and social and human development.
Zardari also invited the attention of the US delegation led by Grossman towards Pakistan's need for more market access for its products in the US through preferential trade tariff.The president said that there was a need to refocus on reinvigorating the Strategic Dialogue process as this dialogue was mainstay of the bilateral relations.
Discussing regional situation, he reiterated Pakistan's principled stance to support intra-Afghan and Afghan-led reconciliation process in the war-torn country. Other issues of important concern for Pakistan such as drug trafficking also came under discussion.Grossman said the US wanted to work with Pakistan and expressed hope that the bilateral relations would soon be back to normal.
and...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/28/world/asia/talks-between-us-and-pakistan-fail-over-airstrike-apology.html?_r=2&hp
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The latest high-level talks on breaking a five-month diplomatic deadlock between the United States and Pakistan ended in failure on Friday over Pakistani demands for an unconditional apology from the Obama administration for an airstrike. The White House, angered by the recent spectacular Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, refuses to apologize.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17872324
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has refused to resign after he was found guilty of contempt of court.
A defiant Mr Gilani told MPs: "Except for you no-one can disqualify me."
On Thursday, the Supreme Court convicted him of failing to pursue corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari.
But Mr Gilani, who had argued the president has constitutional immunity from prosecution, was given only a token sentence and spared a jail term.
Judges sentenced him to a few minutes' detention in the courtroom - some witnesses say it was only about 30 seconds - in what was seen as a symbolic ruling.
'Scruples'
Opposition politicians have been urging the resignation of Mr Gilani, who had previously conceded he would have to step down if found guilty.
But the prime minister - who is appealing against his conviction - faced down those calls on Friday, telling MPs he would resign only "if you de-notify me".
"This is the parliament," he said. "It cannot be that an elected chosen representative, a prime minister unanimously elected by 180m people, is told to just go home.
"Only the Speaker of the house... has the authority to decide."
Mr Gilani challenged the opposition to table a motion of no-confidence in him "if they think they have principles and scruples and high moral grounds".
"I have not committed a crime, I have done nothing wrong but I have protected the constitution of this country," he added.
Correspondents say Mr Gilani's standing among Pakistanis has been boosted by his refusal to bow to the Supreme Court judges, whose pursuit of the contempt case was seen by many as meddling in the country's politics.
It is unlikely the opposition would have the numbers to unseat the prime minister.
'Bribes'
The case is part of a stand-off between the civilian government and the judiciary, which many believe is being backed by the military.
President Zardari has long said the charges against him are politically motivated. They date back to the 1990s when his late wife Benazir Bhutto was prime minister.
The couple were accused of using Swiss bank accounts to launder bribe money.
The Supreme Court ordered Mr Gilani's government to write to the Swiss authorities to ask them to reopen the cases against Mr Zardari.
But Mr Gilani refused, saying the case had been closed by a Swiss judge "on merit" and the president had constitutional immunity.
General elections are due by early next year.
and....
Gilani still Pakistan’s PM: US
WASHINGTON: The United States said on Friday it continues to work with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and believes he remains leader of the Pakistani democratic government. “There was a court decision, he was given a 30 second sentence, I believe, and he remains the prime minister of Pakistan... And, as such, we continue to work with him and Ambassador Grossman did meet with him in Pakistan,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, responding to a question at the daily briefing. Marc Grossman, who is special US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, also met with President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar during his visit, aimed at repairing the strained ties between two countries and moving forward in the light of parliamentary guidelines. Nuland acknowledged that both Pakistan and the United States have more work to do together. The two sides set some terms for continuing discussions, she noted. app
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