February 27, 2007	Tuesday	Safar 9, 1428

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LAHORE, Feb 26: Punjab PPP-SB President Dr Mubashir Hasan has said any illegal military strike by the United States against Iran should be viewed as a hostile act against Pakistan.

In a press statement here on Monday, he expressed his apprehension that after Iran the US might target Pakistan. He said: “The US considers Pakistan the most dangerous country as a breeding ground of terrorists. It will use any means to extricate extremism from Pakistan”.

However, Dr Hasan said no government in Pakistan would ever be able to satisfy the US that it had curbed “terrorism” or extricated extremism. “Hence the sword of Damocles will always hang over Pakistan and military strikes against it shall remain a high probability”.

He said if Pakistan remained silent in case of any US attack on Iran, then India, Iran and Afghanistan would also remain quiet if the US attacked Pakistan in future.

“Pakistan should tell the US and its NATO allies that in the event of any illegal military strike against Iran, it will no longer be possible for Pakistan to render the kind of aid and assistance it is providing for their operations in Afghanistan”.

He alleged that Pakistan was providing vital assistance to US-led forces in Afghanistan in the form of air space use permission for military operations, transport facilities for fuel and arms and intelligence.

“Any indication from Pakistan that it will curtail or restrict the current level of aid and assistance to foreign forces in the event of an attack on Iran will be enough to deter the US from taking any military venture. Such an indication could give a semblance of prestige to Pakistan in the comity of nations.”