US must guarantee Pakistan's sovereignty: Gilani

Islamabad, Dec 22: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today said the US must guarantee Pakistan's sovereignty and ensure that there is no unilateral action like the raid that killed Osama bin Laden under the new terms of engagement that will define bilateral relations in future.

Gilani made the remarks while addressing a meeting of Afghan and Pakistani parliamentarians at the Prime Minister's House. Pakistan wanted to take up three issues with the US that will be part of the "rules of future engagements" between both countries. Besides guaranteeing Pakistan's sovereignty and ensuring that there are no unilateral actions, the US must share "credible and actionable information" so that Pakistan can take action against militants, Gilani said.

Gilani further said US drone attacks, which cause collateral damage, "must be stopped as these were grossly detrimental to the government's efforts to isolate the terrorists from local population". The premier ordered a sweeping review of Pakistan's relations with the US and NATO after a cross-border NATO air strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last month.

The government has sought recommendations from top diplomats and a parliamentary panel so that new terms of engagement with the US can be formulated. Pakistan responded to the air strike by closing all NATO supply routes and forcing the US to vacate Shamsi airbase, which was reportedly used by CIA-operated drones. It also boycotted the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan. MORE

PTI