Military

Pakistan PM warns against options if NATO repeats intrusions

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Oct 1, IRNA -- Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani told the parliament on Friday that Pakistan will consider other options if NATO continued intrusion into its sovereignty and security in future.

Pakistan says that NATO helicopters carried out three air strikes in Kurrum agency tribal area in a week, killing soldiers and civilians.

A NATO spokesman had defended the strikes and said that the action was taken after militants attacked an Afghan border post from Pakistani territory.

Pakistan lodged a formal protest with NATO in Brussels, calling for such attacks in future, officials said.

“I want to assure you and the whole nation through this House that if intrusion into Pakistan’s security is made, we will think of other options,” Prime Minister Gilani said in the National Assembly after an opposition lawmaker Abdul Qadir Baloch raised the issue.

“Pakistan can in no way tolerate collateral damages by strikes inside Pakistan and will not allow anyone to interfere into our sovereignty and security”.

Baloch strongly reacted to shelling on a Pakistani Post killing three soldiers and describing it an act of war demanded of the government to send a unanimous and strong message to NATO forces.

“If you do not explain it, compensate it or apologize it, we may consider other options too,” Gilani categorically warned.

“We are a responsible nation. Like civilized states, we took up the matter in Brussels and they apologized,” he said.

He said when defense and intelligence cooperation exists there, and “if you have credible and actionable information, you are supposed to share it with our intelligence and defense and it is not rational that you strike inside Pakistan,” Gilani said.