Protest lodged with US, says Kasuri: Violation of border
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, May 5: Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said on Wednesday that Pakistan had strongly protested to the United States over border violation by US troops in North Waziristan and demanded a probe into Monday's incident.
In a speech in the Senate, he also said that Pakistan would not tolerate infringement of its national sovereignty and reiterated the government's assurances that it would go ahead with nuclear and missile programmes rather than rolling them back under alleged American pressure.
The minister was responding to opposition protests over the incident and charges that the government had bowed to perceived US dictates. "We have lodged a strong protest (with US authorities)," Mr Kasuri said.
"We have also told them to hold an inquiry and share its result with us," he added. The minister rejected opposition allegations that the government had compromised on national sovereignty after becoming an ally in the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
"We will not tolerate - and everybody knows that -...any compromise on national sovereignty," the minister said as he replied to criticism by opposition senators, including Raza Rabbani and Prof Khurshid Ahmed.
Mr Kasuri said that Pakistan's policy was guided by its national interests rather than any American wishes. To support his point, he recalled Pakistan's refusal to support a planned - but later abandoned - US-sponsored resolution in the UN Security Council to authorize last year's invasion of Iraq or to send its troops to Iraq, and said Islamabad had also withheld voting for a recent UN resolution for nuclear non-proliferation until its viewpoint was incorporated.
"There will be no rollback, and we will go ahead with full speed in our nuclear and missile programmes," the minister said. "We will not accept anything that is against our national interests, whether it is about nuclear programme or friendship with China."
Mr Kasuri said China fully supported Pakistan's foreign policy and its position against terrorism. Initiating the discussion, Prof Khurshid Ahmed described the border violation as implementation of earlier reported threats by US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, that coalition forces could pursue militants into Pakistan if Islamabad failed to tackle them.
"This is a serious matter which can have far-reaching consequences," he said as he linked the incident with what he called "a grand design" to frustrate attempts for political settlements of problems whether it was Iraq or recent clashes between Pakistani troops and tribesmen near Wana.
"We have to take a firm stand and tell Americans that enough is enough," he said. Senator Rabbani said PPP was against the use of Pakistani soil for any terrorist activity. He accused the government of "crossing all limits" in compromising on national interests.
He said the government had compromised the country's financial sovereignty by accepting IMF conditions, on political sovereignty by allowing US interference in its internal affairs and now on territorial sovereignty.
"Have we become so weak that we cannot take a stand?" he asked and said if foreign troops were allowed to come to Wana, they could later go to Karachi and other parts of Sindh. Maulana Gul Naseeb and Prof Ibrahim Khan of MMA in their speeches criticized the US policies.
MEDICAL STUDENTS' WOE: Earlier, on a point of order Senator Tariq Azim Khan of PML-Q drew the attention of the house towards the plight of about 100 students of the Sindh Medical College who had been barred from examinations for allegedly getting admissions with fake documents.
The senator was supported by several members on both the treasury and opposition benches, and chairman Mohammedmian Soomro asked Health Minister Nasir Khan to take up the issue with the Sindh government.
The chairman, on the basis of points raised by Mr Azim as well as the health minister and other members, said the students did not appear to be at fault and asked the minister to present a report in the house by Thursday about his contact with the Sindh authorities.
"These students should be accepted. This is the unanimous view of the house," he said.
CRICKET DEFEAT: On a sentimental point of order raised by Senator Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q, the chairman referred the issue of Pakistan's recent defeat in a cricket series against India to the concerned house standing committee for an inquiry.
