British Pakistanis concerned over NATO strikes in North Waziristan

London, Oct 10 : The British Pakistani community has expressed concern over NATO-led forces' attacks inside Pakistani territory and asked the organisation to refrain from such actions.

British Member of Parliament Lord Nazir Ahmad expressed the concern in a letter to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Ahmad said in the letter that American and NATO forces continued to infringe on Pakistan's sovereignty by carrying out attacks through missiles and helicopter gunships in North Waziristan.

"This has led to destabilisation in Pakistan and has increased extremism. There is an increase in anti-west and anti-American sentiments. There is also a major concern that the NATO policy will lead to further destabilization," the Daily Times quoted Ahmad, as writing.

"If these policies continue similar to that those in Afghanistan, the Pakistani government may not be effective in the war on terror," Ahmad writes in the letter.

He said that an escalation of the problem would be detrimental to the region as well as the world.

In his letter, the NATO Secretary General defended his organisations' engagement in Afghanistan.

According to Scheffer, regional dynamics have led NATO to see the security situation in south and east Afghanistan and in the border regions of Pakistan as two sides of the same coin.

Last stability in either country cannot be achieved unless insurgency and terrorism are addressed effectively on both sides of the border, Scheffer writes.

However, he said the mandate of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force not only excludes counterterrorism operations by ISAF forces or under ISAF command but also limits the ISAF area of operations to the territory and airspace of Afghanistan.

ANI