Pak PM favours "diplomatic" solution to US unilateral raids issue

Islamabad, Sept 16 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that he wants a diplomatic solution for the issue of unilateral American strikes on Pakistan soil, and that he won't act in haste.

"We do not jump to conclusions and will solve the issue through talks," he said, and added that Pakistan was a responsible country and would not act hastily in retaliation to the US attacks.

He added his Government was trying to solve the issue of American attacks inside its Tribal Areas diplomatically.

Gilani said that National Security Adviser Mehmud Ali Durrani had already written a letter to his US counterpart Stephen Hadley urging him to desist from taking unilateral action against Pakistan and to solve the issue through dialogue.

According to media reports, US President George Bush decided to give a go ahead for unilateral strikes on tribal areas in Pakistan in July after being convinced over the past seven years that Pakistan's Army was unable and unwilling to combat terror within its territory.

Over the past few weeks, Pakistan has reacted strongly to such unilateral strikes, saying that it had the sovereign right to hit at terrorists and that no foreign force would be allowed to carry out strikes on its soil.

ANI