Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the missile attacks inside Pakistani territory are intolerable and the government will take every possible step to safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
Responding to different points of order in the national assembly regarding missile attack near Bannu, the Prime Minister hoped the attacks would cease as the new administration of president elect Barack Obama takes charge.
He said Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and it is not isolated. Many countries of the world including NATO states support our point of view on U.S attacks inside Pakistan. These countries agree that the attacks should be stopped, as they are proving counter productive. Mr. Yousuf Raza Gilani said his adviser on national security was constantly in touch with his u.s. counterpart and apprising him of the situation and concern in Pakistan. The Prime Minister made it clear that there was no silent understanding between Pakistan and U.S regarding attacks inside Pakistan. He said there is nothing as such as far as his government is concerned. If any such understanding existed between General Musharraf and the u.s. government it was not on record with the Pakistan government and the foreign office. He said General Musharraf never took parliament into confidence on these attacks and performed one man show. Minister of state for foreign affairs Malik Amaad Khan told the house that the U.S ambassador will be summoned to the foreign office to lodge protest on the missile attack in Bannu. Minister for inter provincial coordination Mian Raza Rabbani said the Parliamentry committee on implementation of the parliament’s resolution on national security will take notice of this attack and chalk out its strategy today. He said Pakistan is a sovereign country and not a client state of the United State’s. Leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said after a series of attacks in FATA the latest attack on the settled area of Bannu is a matter of great concern. He said the matter should be taken up in the united nations and policy regarding facilitation to the allied forces be reviewed. Zafar Iqbal Bhatini, Ahsan Iqbal, Maulana Attaur Rehman and Ameer Muqam condemned the missile attack in Bannu.
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