November 24, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Reiterating the government’s resolve not to compromise on national sovereignty and integrity, President Asif Ai Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that the government would work out a new strategy to deal with frequent drone attacks in accordance with recommendations of the recently-formed Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

During an hour-long meeting at the President House, they agreed that the strategy would be worked out after a briefing to the committee by Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik and director-general of Inter Services Intelligence.

Security situation in the country and steps being taken by the government for reviving the economy were also discussed at the meeting.

According to an official handout, President Zardari termed the US drone attacks inside Pakistani territory counter-productive and said the raids must be stopped.

He said the government was coming under pressure to react aggressively to the attack.

There have been reports that the US had demanded joint military operations against militants in Fata, but the president rejected the demands and informed the US government that public sentiments against the US were intensifying in Pakistan.

The prime minister is reported to have urged the US administration to abide by the unanimously approved resolution of parliament on national security and terrorism.

APP adds: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Sunday that Pakistan had no agreement with the US allowing it to carry out incursions inside its territory.

In an interview with CNN, he said: “As far as my government is concerned, certainly we have no agreement with the US to continue air attacks inside Pakistan.”

The prime minister said that if the US continued such attacks, sentiments against the US, Nato and the West would rise.