January 16, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 15, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 15: Leader of the opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has strongly condemned violation of Pakistan’s air space by US forces for missile attack on innocent civilians in Bajaur Agency. “This is an open violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty and an act that cannot be sidestepped by just maintaining that the incident is under investigation as the government did,” he said in a statement issued here on Sunday.

He described the foreign ministry statement on the incident as ‘weak’, and said that the government, by responding to the violation in such a tamed manner, had opened the way for more such incidents. He recalled that a similar incident had taken place during the past week and a timid protest by the government at that time had encouraged the violators to repeat the act.

Mian Rabbani said although facts were on the contrary, even if foreigners had been operating from that village, it was for the Pakistani forces to act against them.

He said the government must state its position in the upcoming Senate session.—PPI