March 31, 2008 (LPAC) --The new Pakistani Prime Minister Makhdoom Yousaf Raza Gillani has conveyed to the regional countries, (read: India), that Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence, while maintaining a credible defense to prevent military attacks on Pakistan.

Prime Minister Gilani chose to issue the statement the very day he swore in his 24-member Cabinet. A day before the Prime Minister's announcement, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the most prominent group of Islamic-militants operating within Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, and widely identified by the western media as "Pakistani Taliban", said it was ready for talks with the government, if and when Islamabad reverses its pro-American policies.

On March 29, PM Gillani said that fighting terrorism would be his top priority and offered to hold talks with those militants who laid down their weapons. "We are ready to talk to all those people who give up arms and are ready to embrace peace," Gillani told parliament, prompting loud support from lawmakers.

Gillani's statement will no doubt be read very carefully in London, as well as in Washington. By improving its relations with its neighbors, particularly with India, Pakistan will strike a serious blow to the British-directed destabilization in progress in the west of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan. It is also expected that the statement will be under scrutiny in Bucharest where the three-day NATO summit will begin on April 2. NATO is seeking more troops for its joint military campaign in Afghanistan, a proposal which will bring in more violence inside Pakistan and Asia abroad.