UPDATED ON:
Sunday, July 20, 2008
15:19 Mecca time, 12:19 GMT
 
News CENTRAL/S. ASIA
'No to foreign forces' in Pakistan
Gilani said any 'compromise' to Pakistani sovereignty would not be permitted [AFP]

Pakistan will not permit foreign forces to operate against armed groups on its soil, but will remain a supporter of the so-called "war on terror", the country's prime minister has said.

Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday that his country would take action against opposition fighters on its own, in an address to the nation broadcast on state-run television.

"There will be no compromise on the sovereignty of Pakistan. Pakistan will not allow any foreign forces to operate inside the country, but we will make our own decision and action," he said.

"Our government is preparing a comprehensive plan to improve the goodwill of Pakistan, which will provide a good image to the whole world, especially the West."

Army crackdown

Gilani's comments come after Afghnistan's government accused Islamabad and its intelligence agency of backing Taliban-linked fighters.

The US has said Islamabad has failed to take decisive steps against fighters opposed to the government operating in Pakistan's region bordering Afghanistan.

At the same time, US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is in Afghanistan, visiting US troops and reinforcing his pledge to redirect soldiers from Iraqi to the country should he be elected president.

Talat Masood, a defence analyst based in Islamabad, told Al Jazeera that the Pakistani government considered it necessary to show itself as being anti-Taliban.

 

But he said that Pakistan "was divided and confused" regarding the so-called war on terror.

 

Gilani's firm stance against having foreign forces in Pakistan was an attempt to make it seem like "the country owned the war", Masood said.

A spokesman for the Pakistani army said on Sunday that it had killed 15 fighters and detained 60 others, in the army's first major offensive since Pakistan's new government was formed in February.

Major-General Athar Abbas said five troops have been injured during five days of fighting near the town of Hangu in the northwest of the country.

The army operation, launched on Wednesday, came after supporters of Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, killed 17 troops in an ambush in the area.

An army statement said five of the killed opposition fighters had attempted to storm a military fort early on Sunday.

 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 4
 
John D.
United States
22/07/2008
Foriegn Forces in Pakistan
The Pak government on the one hand forcefully demands that no foreign troops, such as the USA, shall operate within thier borders. Yet, there are thousands for foreign peoples (non-uniformed troops) operating inside Pakistan. In fact, these people are waging war on Pakistans neighbors. Why prevent some foreigners from entering to attack other foreigners.

shayan
Pakistan
24/07/2008
pakistan against foreign interference
its quite simple y pakistan Gov. doesnt want NATO forces inside pakistan. bcz NATO soldiers kill indiscriminately ... they attack more civilians than the militants which is the exact same case in afaghanistan and iraq.... and secondly pakistani ppl will never tolerate this action and the gov. will lose its already wavering support.....i agree with Ateeq that the americans are using pakistan as a scapegoat for their own failure in this war......

zehrari
Afghanistan
20/07/2008
Pakistan goverment should not be tursted anymore
Pakistan playing game with the world. The U.S should not lesson to Gilani or anyone else in Pakistan.

Ateeq
Uganda
22/07/2008
The US has said Islamabad has failed to take decisive steps against fighters opposed to the government operating in Pakistan's region bordering Afghanistan. What about the US? have they been able to take any decisive steps against extremists in Iraq or Afghanistan? now that the US has failed it is trying to divert the attention towards Pakistan by claiming that it is Pakistan that isn't doing enough!

 
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