Gilani slams NATO strike; calls it Pak's '26/11 attacks'

Islamabad, Dec 14: With the dent in the relationship between Pakistan and the US growing more and more evident, Pakistan is all set to rewrite its foreign policy. There has been a considerable shift in the rhetoric used by Pakistan in recent times. The latest on this front is when Pak Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani referred to the NATO air strike as the "26/11 attacks".

With the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 popularly referred to as the 26/11 attacks, the latest comment by Gilani has now made the NATO strike Pakistan's very own 26/11. Gilani also added in his fiery rhetoric that Islamabad will not accept "flagrant transgression" of its territory similar to the one that led to the air strike.

The deadly NATO strike led to the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers and called it a "huge setback" for cooperation between key players in Afghanistan. Speaking at a press conference of Pakistani envoys, Gilani commented, "Our cooperation with US/NATO/ISAF was based on respect for Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Under no circumstances could we accept flagrant transgression of our territorial frontiers. The aerial attacks on our army border posts on November 26, 2011 constituted a huge setback to the prospects of much-needed cooperation between all important stakeholders."

Gilani also said that he has asked a Parliamentary Committee on National Security to conduct a detailed study and make recommendations on how to further carry out cooperation with the US and NATO.

Gilani added that the region was "passing through a difficult phase" and the "satisfactory resolution of issues relating to Afghanistan poses daunting challenges not only to the region but to the international community. At this particular point in time, it is imperative that all efforts should be directed to promoting durable stability and peace in Afghanistan. All principal stakeholders must be on the same page."

Meanwhile, Pak Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar stated that they were not going to fight with anyone. She said, "We are not going to fight with anyone. It is not in Pakistan's national interest that we should break off our relations with any country but there is a need to define those relations in future while keeping in view our national interests."

OneIndia News