<p>"I, on behalf of the people, government of Pakistan and my Cabinet colleagues strongly condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran by (pastor) Terry Jones, a US national," he said.<br />In his opening remarks at a Cabinet meeting chaired by him, Gilani said this "heinous act is reflective of the presence of extremism in various societies."<br /><br />Gilani proposed that the time had come for Muslims and the people of Western countries to come together and promote inter-faith harmony for the sake of future generations.<br />He said the concept of clash of civilizations should be replaced by one that builds bridges and promotes tolerance and mutual respect between cultures.<br /><br />He informed the Cabinet that the government had decided to register a protest at international fora on the burning of the Quran and suggested that Parliament should pass a unanimous resolution on the issue.<br /><br />"Our government also condemns (US) drone attacks (in Pakistan's tribal belt), which are counterproductive and flare up extremism," Gilani said.<br /><br />Referring to the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament on March 22, he said this was the fourth consecutive address by any democratically elected President.<br /><br />He said the President, in his address, gave "us concrete guidelines to steer the country forward amid challenges and reiterated that all political parties should adopt a reconciliatory approach in the greater national interest."</p>
<p>"I, on behalf of the people, government of Pakistan and my Cabinet colleagues strongly condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran by (pastor) Terry Jones, a US national," he said.<br />In his opening remarks at a Cabinet meeting chaired by him, Gilani said this "heinous act is reflective of the presence of extremism in various societies."<br /><br />Gilani proposed that the time had come for Muslims and the people of Western countries to come together and promote inter-faith harmony for the sake of future generations.<br />He said the concept of clash of civilizations should be replaced by one that builds bridges and promotes tolerance and mutual respect between cultures.<br /><br />He informed the Cabinet that the government had decided to register a protest at international fora on the burning of the Quran and suggested that Parliament should pass a unanimous resolution on the issue.<br /><br />"Our government also condemns (US) drone attacks (in Pakistan's tribal belt), which are counterproductive and flare up extremism," Gilani said.<br /><br />Referring to the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament on March 22, he said this was the fourth consecutive address by any democratically elected President.<br /><br />He said the President, in his address, gave "us concrete guidelines to steer the country forward amid challenges and reiterated that all political parties should adopt a reconciliatory approach in the greater national interest."</p>