KARACHI (Agencies) -- Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday criticized U.S. President Barack Obama’s statement that the civilian government in Pakistan was ‘fragile’, asserting that his government was strong and state institutions were functioning ‘effectively’.

Gilani declined to comment directly on statements of the U.S. president and Centcom chief General David Petraeus about the civilian government and the security situation in Pakistan. However, he said his government had been in power for only one year, while Washington tolerated General Pervez Musharraf’s ‘non-democratic regime’ for nine years, the Dawn reported.
Gilani was speaking at a news conference at the Chief Minister’s House after chairing a meeting on the law and order situation in Karachi.
His remarks came after head of U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus warned that the Islamabad government risked collapse if Taliban militants were not defeated within the next two weeks.
“The Pakistanis have run out of excuses” and are “finally getting serious” about combating the threat from Taliban and al-Qaeda extremists operating out of north-west Pakistan, General Petraeus stated.
The U.S. general made these assessments in talks with U.S. congressmen and members of the Senate, according to the Fox News channel.
Officials said that General Petraeus and senior officials in the Obama administration believe that the Pakistani army, led by Gen Ashfaq Kayani, is “superior” to the civilian government.
American officials have watched with anxiety as Taliban fighters advanced earlier this month to within 60 miles of the capital city, Islamabad. In recent days, the Pakistani army has sought to reverse that tide, retaking control of strategic points in the district of Buner even as the Taliban struck back by kidnapping scores of police and paramilitary troops.
In reply to a question about the presence of the Taliban in Karachi, Prime Minister Gilani said the government would not allow any space to extremists or militants.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Gilani had not ruled out the possibility of ‘foreign hand’ in the Karachi violence, and at the press conference he said: ‘Foreign elements make space for themselves whenever there is a vacuum.’
The prime minister announced 500, 000 rupees each for the deceased and 100, 000 rupees each for the injured of the Karachi violence.