ISLAMABAD, June 5: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday told the National Assembly that the government had adopted a new strategy to counter terrorism after realising that the policies of the previous regime were not working.

Winding up a debate on an adjournment motion on last month’s missile attack in Bajaur Agency, the foreign minister sought help from all political parties, including those on opposition benches, in formulating a policy on the “war against terror” to tackle frequent violations of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and missile attacks in tribal areas.

“Military means is not a solution,” Mr Qureshi told the house.

He said the new government had engaged peace-loving and law-abiding people in tribal areas and was concentrating on socio-economic uplift of these areas to bring them on a par with the rest of the country.

“We will re-establish the writ of the government not through military means, but through political engagement and socio-economic development. And if we will have to use military we will not feel shy,” Mr Qureshi said.

“We will not succumb to terrorists and their sanctuaries and militant groups will not be allowed to use our territory against any country, including Afghanistan.”

Mr Qureshi’s forceful defence of the government’s new policy was prompted by former interior minister Aftab Sherpao’s unexpected criticism of Islamabad’s stand which, according to him, was resulting in the killing of Pakhtoons. Mr Sherpao was interior minister in the Saukat Aziz-led government when a full-fledged military operation was launched in the tribal areas.

Earlier, Mr Sherpao regretted that the “blood of Pakhtoons” was being spilled in the tribal areas. He said it was the fourth time that the US had attacked Bajaur Agency and it was the second time that the “Predators” (drones) came and attacked.

He regretted that the US government had given no assurance that it would not do it again. “US drones are daily flying in tribal areas. It has become a daily routine and our airspace is being violated continuously,” he said, adding the planes had even come to Bannu and feared that “tomorrow they may come to Peshawar”.

Quoting from statements of some US officials, Mr Sherpao said Washington had expressed its no confidence over the ongoing talks with tribal elders.

“There is total confusion and no clear policy,” he said, adding that it seems there are two policies – one for domestic and the other for international consumption.

Mr Qureshi expressed surprise over Mr Sherpao’s statement that “Pakhtoons were being killed” in the province and tribal areas and that the US planes were violating Pakistan’s airspace. “Was it the first incident? Was it for the first time that US drones flew inside Pakistan? Was it the first missile attack? Who knows better than Mr Sherpao who had tackled this issue for five years as interior minister,” said the foreign minister.

The foreign minister said he would soon visit Afghanistan to discuss these violations with President Hamid Karzai and his counterpart.

QUESTION HOUR: Earlier during the question hour, the foreign minister told the National Assembly that during the fourth round of composite dialogue India had agreed to inform Pakistan about detained persons and their crimes. He said 518 Pakistanis were in Indian jails at present. But, he said, the Indian authorities acknowledged only that 147 Pakistani prisoners were languishing in Indian jails.