Pakistan welcomes Obama's order to close Guantanamo

Jan 24, 2009, 12:00 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan on Saturday welcomed US President Barack Obama's decision to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

'Closing Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre signals an important step towards upholding the primacy of the rule of law and adds the much needed moral dimension in dealing with terrorism,' a foreign ministry statement said.

Obama signed a directive on Thursday to set a one-year deadline for closing the notorious detention facility. He also banned torture during interrogations and subjected the detainees to international treaties about prisoners of war.

Pakistani is confident that the new US Administration will develop a holistic strategy in successfully overcoming the complex challenges confronting the world today, Pakistani official statement said further.

Islamabad is a key US ally in the fight against terrorism and its intelligence agencies have helped America in apprehending hundreds of terror suspects dozens of whom are still languishing in Guantanamo.