July 25, 2007	Wednesday	Rajab 09, 1428

LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), July 24: Parliamentarians from Khyber Agency have expressed serious reservations about possible strikes by the United States against alleged Al Qaeda bases in the tribal areas.

Talking to Dawn, MNA Mulana Khalilur Rehman from Bara said any such attack would be a matter of shame for the government and it would tarnish the image of Pakistan Army.

He said such a strike would be considered an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan.

The maulana warned that an American attack on the tribal areas would result in deterioration of the already worsening law and order situation in the country and it would give an impetus to suicide attacks.

He said all the parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas were united in condemning any use of force by the US. He vowed to vehemently resist any such act and to stand by the people of the tribal areas.

Senator Hamidullah Jan Afridi ridiculed the US government’s claim about the presence of Al Qaeda leaders in Fata. He questioned the inability of the US to track down Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his colleagues. “If the Americans could trace Saddam Hussain then why are they unable to track down the Al Qaeda leadership,” he said.

He said an attack on suspected Al Qaeda positions in the tribal belt would have serious consequences for the Pakistan-US relations and their joint war against terrorism.

He said the government had made mistakes while dealing with extremist elements in Fata and its assistance to US military attacks would result in an upsurge in hatred amongst the tribesmen against their army.

Attacks against innocent tribesmen would also be considered a serious violation of human rights, he said.

Mr Afridi said a strategy would be devised after the policy of the government on the issue was declared.

He warned of the possibility of reconsidering and scrapping all the previous treaties between Pakistan and tribal elders if any such attacks were launched on their land.