Pakistan can't wage war with US: Gilani

Islamabad, Sep 13: Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that his government can and will take up the issue of unilateral American missile strikes with the Bush administration, but ruled out the possibility of engaging the United States in a war.

"We can take up the matter of unilateral strikes in Pakistan at diplomatic level, but cannot wage war," Gilani told newsmen at Prime Minister Secretariat on Friday, Sep 12 after inaugurating the country's first plant for manufacturing of auto disposable syringes. Gilani said the issue would be taken up with the United States and the United Kingdom with a view to convincing them that Pakistan would itself take any military action against the militants on its territory.

"Pakistan enjoys friendly relations with all the countries and will be able to bring Washington and London round to the fact that we are fully capable of tackling the scourge of terrorism ourselves," The News quoted him, as saying.

He was of the view that only Pakistan had the sole right to take action against the terrorist in its territory, adding that a pragmatic solution to the issue of terrorism would be worked out through dialogue.

ANI