 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Mullen arrives amid growing tensions |
|
|
|
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
WASHINGTON: Top US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen arrived in Pakistan on an unannounced visit on Tuesday to discuss operations under way on the Afghanistan frontier with Pakistan’s leaders, the Pentagon said. —Agencies
Mazhar Tufail adds from Islamabad: Top US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen reaches Pakistan as tensions between the two allies in the war on terror culminated after Pakistan asserted its right to defend its borders against any foreign incursion.
Sources said the government of Pakistan would lodge a protest with the top US military commander over the recent violations of its territorial boundary by Afghanistan-based foreign troops.
It will be the second meeting between Army chief General Kayani and Admiral Mullen in less than three weeks as the two met aboard the US Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Aug 26.
The Pakistan Army chief recently issued a stern warning against foreign intervention. Pakistani military officials downplayed a US wire report, which quoted a senior ISPR official as saying fresh orders had been issued to the troops to open fire on foreign forces trying to violate Pakistan's sovereignty. They said no new orders had been issued but the standing instructions to all troops at the border were to defend the country if anyone came with aggressive designs.
"The top American military commander will hold meetings with civilian and military leaders of the country to discuss bilateral cooperation in the war on terror," said a senior government official, wishing not to be identified.
The official said the civil and military leadership of Pakistan would make it clear to the US commander that only Pakistani security forces would take action on Pakistani soil and that foreign troops would never be allowed to take any action on the pretext of so-called hot pursuit.
He said the US commander would hold separate meetings with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar as well as Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Tariq Majeed and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
"The US commander will be told by both the civil and military leadership that Angoor Adda-like incidents will not be accepted and if any such action took place in the future, the aggressors will be paid in the same coin," the official said. "There is complete unanimity of views between the civil and military leaders on this issue," he added.
Military sources also confirmed that the US commander would be clearly told about repercussions of any action by foreign troops on Pakistani soil. They said Admiral Mullen would be told that Pakistan's armed forces would retaliate with full force against any cross-border strikes in the future.
The sources said that the military leaders had completed their homework for meeting the US top commander. They said he would be told that the mechanism of intelligence sharing at the tripartite commission level should be further improved and information provided by Pakistan should be trusted. They said the US commander would be asked if the allied troops in Afghanistan get any information from other sources, and if so they should convey it to their Pakistani counterparts so that action could be taken by the Pakistani troops.
"The US commander will be informed that no important al-Qaeda or Taliban leader is present in Pakistan's tribal region and if the US-led Nato troops have any information in this regard, they must share it with Pakistan so the Pakistani security forces could take necessary action," the sources said.
"Admiral Mullen will be given a detailed briefing on the ongoing military operation in the tribal areas and will be informed about casualties on both sides," they added.
The sources said there was no change in the stance of the new Pakistani leadership on the war on terror but the violation of Pakistan's territorial boundaries by the US-led Nato troops was neither in the interest of the US and Pakistan nor would they serve any purpose in the war. Rather, they stressed, such actions could complicate the situation, jeopardising the ongoing cooperation between the US and Pakistan.
When asked for comments, a federal minister, on condition of anonymity, said there was no justification of any action by foreign troops on Pakistani soil because Pakistan was a sovereign state and it could not allow foreign troops to operate in its territory.
"We have come to power with the support of the people of Pakistan and it is obvious that we cannot afford to take any step against their aspirations. They are simmering with anger after the recent attacks by the US-led foreign troops and unmanned aerial vehicles," he added.
|
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
Three killed as Sh Rashid escapes attempt on life
By Shakeel Anjum
RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and a candidate for NA-55 (Rawalpindi) by-election Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was wounded, while three people — a guard and two party workers — were killed when four gunmen more |
|
|
12 soldiers killed in South Waziristan
ISLAMABAD: Twelve soldiers embraced martyrdom while two others were injured in a clash with militants during the ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), the ISPR said on Monday.
S more |
|
|
Plan to attack five-star hotel foiled
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The CIA police here on Monday claimed to have foiled an attack on Americans staying at a five-star hotel and arrested six terrorists, including a suicide bomber.
Addressing a press conference, SS more |
|
|
Govt taking court for a ride
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: She fought her case in the media. She won her battle in the judicial forum too. But still the government is bent on making an example out of her for refusing to follow the illegal dictates of her min more |
|
|
Pakistan against arms race: Gilani
By Azeem Samar
KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said Pakistan does not want to be engaged in an arms race with any country.
Speaking as chief guest at the induction ceremony of second Chinese-m more |
|
|
|
Punjab-Sindh water row Centre’s intervention sought
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Tension between Punjab and Sindh over opening of the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Punjnad link canals has touched a new high as the former has sought the Centre’s intervention.
The Punjab has sai more |
|
|
|
French, Dutch fight over giving LNG to Pakistan
By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and his team is all set to thwart the attempt of an unscrupulous combine of oil industry heavyweights and some functionaries of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Re more |
|
|
|
Nine killed as no let-up in rains
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: Nine people were killed and scores of others injured as heavy rains and snowfall lashed various parts of the country for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.
Reports from the Shangla district more |
|
|
|
Malik orders NUML closure as protest enters 5ht day
ISLAMABAD: The protest of the students of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) against thrashing of Professor Malik Tahir by Registrar Brigadier (R) Obaidullah Ranjha entered its fifth consecutive more |
|
|
|
Malik insists no Blackwater in Pakistan
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik while responding to an accusation from a PML-N parliamentarian told the National Assembly that Blackwater was not providing security to the president and the prime mini more |
|
|
|
FBR gets list of properties rented out to foreigners
By Hanif Khalid
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has received list of properties from Foreign Office, which were in use of foreigners in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, but these were not shown in annual tax more |
|
|
|
Repealing of 17th Amendment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has begun efforts to create consensus on repealing the 17th Amendment before presidential address to the joint sitting of the parliament.
The prime minis more |
|
|
|
Three suspects held in Mohmand
By our correspondent
GHALLANAI: The security forces arrested three suspected persons during search operation in Safi subdivision of Mohmand Agency, official sources said Monday. The sources said the security forces carried out sear more |
|
|
|
No presence of Blackwater, DynCorp in Pakistan, NA body told
ISLAMABAD: Secretary Interior Qamar Zaman again negated on Monday the presence of Blackwater, DynCorp or any other foreign security agency in the country. “Neither the Blackwater and the DynCorp nor any other s more |
|
|
|
Govt urged to take up water issue with India
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat while urging the government to take up the issue of ‘water terrorism’ with New Delhi, has question more |
|
|
|
Avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers in held Kashmir
HELD SRINAGAR: Seventeen Indian soldiers were killed on Monday in an avalanche that slammed into a group of 70 combat troops at a high-altitude warfare training camp in Kashmir, the army said on Monday.
more |
|
|
|
Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault
KANDAHAR: The Nato commanders urged the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in on Monday for a major assault on their key stronghold in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.
The Ta more |
|
|
|
Plea to freeze foreign accounts
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the federal government to submit a reply within four weeks on a petition seeking freezing of accounts in foreign banks and recovery of illegal assets accumu more |
|
|
|
Attack on Sh Rashid
RAWALPINDI: The PML-N candidate for by-polls from NA-55, Malik Shakil Awan, has announced suspension of electioneering for a day to mourn the death of those killed in the attack on the office of his rival, Shei more |
|
|
|
Indian forces to halt Kashmir rally outside UN office
HELD SRINAGAR: The held Kashmir authorities deployed thousands of police and troops on Monday to prevent a protest outside the UN office here over the recent killing of two teenage boys by Indian security force more |
|
|
|
briefs...
20 die in Afghan floods, avalanches
KANDAHAR: Twenty people have died in floods and avalanches triggered by some of the heaviest rain and snow in Afghanistan for 50 years, an official said on Monday. At more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
