Adux
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US forces enter Pak, envoy called for talks
Monday, March 05, 2007
Blog this story
http://content.msn.co.in/News/International/InternationalIANS_050307_1250.htm#top
Washington/Islamabad: Pakistan has reported more 'violations' by Afghan and US-led forces on its border with Afghanistan, and has summoned its envoy in Washington home for 'consultations.’
Violations by US-led coalition and Afghan forces continued for the third day Sunday in the Lwara Mandi area of North Waziristan, the ‘Daily Times’ reported from Miranshah, the main town of the region, quoting witnesses.
Remarks by Pakistani Ambassador Lt. Gen. (retd) Mahmud Durrani that US actions could bring down President Musharraf, and that they could destabilise Pakistan have not gone well in Islamabad, the newspaper said.
Witnesses in Northern Waziristan, a tribal no-man's land over which Islamabad has no control, said coalition forces seized a shepherd in the Data Khel area of Lwara Mandi.
They said a resident of Shashly village on the Pakistan-Afghan border in North Waziristan - identified as Sher Ali, the son of Gul Khan - had been detained on the other side of the border.
In another incident, witnesses said coalition forces bombed a Pakistani border area. They said that two gunship helicopters flew several kilometres into Pakistani territory, NNI news agency reported.
Gen. Durrani's summons to Islamabad for consultations was "another indication of rising tensions between Pakistan and the US" on the issue of cross-border pursuits into Afghanistan, media reports said.
What Pakistan terms 'violations' and an encroachment on its sovereignty are part of the campaign to bomb fleeing Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, who use Pakistani territory as a safe haven.
US-led forces have also engaged in 'hot pursuit' of these elements in preparation of its Spring Offensive against the fugitives, who were ousted from power in Kabul in 2001, but have registered a remarkable resurgence last year.
Some of the bombs have landed on Pakistani territory. There has been more than one incident of exchange of fire - in one a Pakistani soldier was killed and two injured.
The Bush administration's defence officials last week clearly informed the US Congress that fleeing Taliban were being pursued into Pakistani territory.
In an interview to an international wire service last week, Durrani had expressed concerns that cooperation among the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan was eroding.
Asked if tampering with US aid levels might trigger Musharraf's ouster, he said, "Possibly it could bring him down. It could destabilise the whole country."
Islamabad was not too pleased with this particular articulation, and directed the Pakistani embassy to issue a clarification.
The "clarification" by the embassy said, "A spokesman for the embassy in Washington said Durrani made a point in the interview that any conditions attached to US assistance would send a wrong signal to Pakistanis, and hence would be counter-productive.
The incident has had its political fallout at home. Pakistani lawmakers have been angry with Musharraf government's "failure to protect sovereignty" and have demanded a special session of parliament to discuss the issue.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Blog this story
http://content.msn.co.in/News/International/InternationalIANS_050307_1250.htm#top
Washington/Islamabad: Pakistan has reported more 'violations' by Afghan and US-led forces on its border with Afghanistan, and has summoned its envoy in Washington home for 'consultations.’
Violations by US-led coalition and Afghan forces continued for the third day Sunday in the Lwara Mandi area of North Waziristan, the ‘Daily Times’ reported from Miranshah, the main town of the region, quoting witnesses.
Remarks by Pakistani Ambassador Lt. Gen. (retd) Mahmud Durrani that US actions could bring down President Musharraf, and that they could destabilise Pakistan have not gone well in Islamabad, the newspaper said.
Witnesses in Northern Waziristan, a tribal no-man's land over which Islamabad has no control, said coalition forces seized a shepherd in the Data Khel area of Lwara Mandi.
They said a resident of Shashly village on the Pakistan-Afghan border in North Waziristan - identified as Sher Ali, the son of Gul Khan - had been detained on the other side of the border.
In another incident, witnesses said coalition forces bombed a Pakistani border area. They said that two gunship helicopters flew several kilometres into Pakistani territory, NNI news agency reported.
Gen. Durrani's summons to Islamabad for consultations was "another indication of rising tensions between Pakistan and the US" on the issue of cross-border pursuits into Afghanistan, media reports said.
What Pakistan terms 'violations' and an encroachment on its sovereignty are part of the campaign to bomb fleeing Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, who use Pakistani territory as a safe haven.
US-led forces have also engaged in 'hot pursuit' of these elements in preparation of its Spring Offensive against the fugitives, who were ousted from power in Kabul in 2001, but have registered a remarkable resurgence last year.
Some of the bombs have landed on Pakistani territory. There has been more than one incident of exchange of fire - in one a Pakistani soldier was killed and two injured.
The Bush administration's defence officials last week clearly informed the US Congress that fleeing Taliban were being pursued into Pakistani territory.
In an interview to an international wire service last week, Durrani had expressed concerns that cooperation among the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan was eroding.
Asked if tampering with US aid levels might trigger Musharraf's ouster, he said, "Possibly it could bring him down. It could destabilise the whole country."
Islamabad was not too pleased with this particular articulation, and directed the Pakistani embassy to issue a clarification.
The "clarification" by the embassy said, "A spokesman for the embassy in Washington said Durrani made a point in the interview that any conditions attached to US assistance would send a wrong signal to Pakistanis, and hence would be counter-productive.
The incident has had its political fallout at home. Pakistani lawmakers have been angry with Musharraf government's "failure to protect sovereignty" and have demanded a special session of parliament to discuss the issue.
