By NNN-APP,
Washington : Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership had rejected suggestions of ground attacks inside Pakistani territory while a European NATO official denied knowledge of the US move, expressing surprise at the reported change in the rules of engagement along Pakistan-Afghanistan border, according to an American newspaper report.
The comments by unnamed US and Pakistani officials in a major Washington newspaper report ran in line with the stance of the Pakistani leaders this week, who have been stresssing that they are clear on the rules of engagement under which no foreign troops would take anti-terrorism actions on the Pakistani soil.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of the Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani denunciated the attack on a Pakistani border village earlier this month as it was a violation of the Pakistani sovereignty, the Washington Post report noted.
Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington, Husain Haqqani said U.S. officials assured him Thursday that “no such order had been given.” The United States, he said, “respects Pakistan ‘s sovereignty.”
Meanwhile, a senior European official said that the NATO allies shared U.S. concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and were aware new U.S. rules were under consideration, but that they were unaware the rules had been approved.
“If you’re going to invade another country . . . without their permission, after you’ve just spent eight years trying to get a democratic government in place, it strikes me as kind of confused politics,” the senior unnamed European official said.
The White House has declined to comment on press reports claiming authorization of incursions into Pakistani territory by Afghanistan-based US troops.