Pak not to allow foreign interference on its soil

Islamabad, Jun 6: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi said his government would not allow foreign interference in Pakistan territory to ensure that "our soil was not used for terrorism".

Local daily The News today quoted him as saying in Islamabad that the government would build national consensus to tackle problem of frequent violation of Pakistan's airspace from across the border and prevent missile strikes in its border regions in future. A missile strike on Damadola village in Bajaur tribal region had killed 14 people and injured several others in May. Mr Qureshi said the coalition government is committed to curb the menace of terrorism and would never yield to terrorists.

He said all measures would be taken to protect the national sovereignty as well as the people of Pakistan.

Mr Qureshi called for evolving a strategy of national consensus to deal with the menace of terrorism to bring peace in the country and the region at large. "We have to sit collectively and devise a strategy," he said.

The foreign minister said the government had embarked on a three-pronged strategy to deal with terrorism but the issue needed a national consensus and a collective standing of the nation.

Mr Qureshi said the government would not engage in the blame game but would honour proposals of the political leadership to overcome the problem in the greater national interests.

The foreign minister said Pakistan had already lodged a strong protest with the US authorities and the coalition forces deployed in Afghanistan over recent missile strikes.

He said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also took up the issue in his meeting with US President Bush in Sharm El Shaikh, Egypt.

UNI