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Notice sent to US to vacate Shamsi airbase in 15 days: Hina Khar
Gilani rejects ‘Rs 1 billion annual savings plan’
Police look on as Iranians storm British embassy in Tehran PAGE 17
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pakistantoday.com.pk
rs15.00 Vol ii no 154 32 Pages Karachi edition
Wednesday, 30 november, 2011 muharram-ul-Haram 4, 1433
Pakistan snubs Bonn moot as Kabul pleads Cabinet vows to defend country’s borders, endorses DCC decisions g Karzai calls Gilani, requests him to reconsider decision to boycott Bonn moot g
MULTAN: A protester holds an image of US President Barack Obama for photographers before throwing it into the flames together with a poster of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to condemn the Pakistani government’s support of the US, during an anti-America demonstration on Tuesday. reuters
GHQ evaluating ‘all options’ after unprovoked attack DGMO says no matching reaction because of technological disparity g says NAtO-IsAF had knowledge of Pakistani posts, violated all sOPs g
ISLAMABAD RANA QAISAR
In its first formal response to the November 26 NATO-ISAF helicopters’ violation of Pakistani territory and attack on two border posts killing 24 troops and injuring another 15, the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Tuesday came up with its analysis and conclusion of the situation holding the NATO-ISAF responsible for the incident and said “all options” were under review, though Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad admitted that a military response was, however, not a choice because of technological disparity. Firming up the military position that the attack was “not unintended”, the DGMO explained to the journalists, invited for a briefing at the GHQ, the chain of events and the follow up actions he had initiated when he was informed about the attack. The analysis of the incident, the DGMO presented, suggested that the NATO-ISAF had by design violated the SOPs of coordination despite his activating all channels of communication as the helicopters had intruded into Pakistani territory and opened fire on the posts. However, he did not share with the journalists as to what possible objective(s) the NATO-ISAF wanted to achieve and what message was wrapped for Pakistan in this “intended” attack on two border posts. But he appeared confident showing the resolve of the army that this time the political and diplomatic responses would make a difference. “We will give our input and recommendations to the government and the prime minister will make
a statement,” General Ishfaq said, keeping the options Pakistan could use a secret. Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was expected to join the briefing and personally answer the questions but he did not come and Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt General Waheed Arshad was present to respond, mostly off-the-record, to the questions the DGMO did not consider as falling in his domain or not to be answered for strategic reasons. The DGMO did not agree to a question when asked as to why the air force had not been scrambled when the attack continued for about two hours and said: “Scrambling air force in a hazy and developing situation would have escalated the scale of the incident.” His contention was that scrambling air force would mean declaring war and “we can’t fight with the NATO-ISAF with technological disparity… the government (political) response is the best and it has to be a whole of government and a whole of national approach”. He mentioned the decisions taken by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) and said the response of the government regarding vacation of Shamsi airbase was adequate. He shared with the journalists the conclusion the GHQ had reached – it was an unprovoked military aggression, it was intended and the claim that it was unintended defied military logic, the NATO-ISAF did know about the attack, all procedures of communication and coordination were violated and our troops fought and used all weapons. continUed on Page 04
US SUSPectS nato lUred into raid | Page 24
us unapologetic about NAtO raid LONDON REUTERS
Washington’s top military officer said on Monday that Pakistani anger over a NATO air strike in Mohmand Agency was justified given the loss of life, but he declined to offer an apology saying he did not know enough yet about the incident and that there was a US military investigation underway. Dempsey, chairman of the US military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Britain’s ITV News that US-Pakistani relations were at one of their worst points in memory after the NATO strike that killed 24 Pakistani troops, but could recover. Questioned whether the situation was irretrievable, he said: “No. I don’t think so.” Dempsey branded the relationship with Pakistan “troubled” when he addressed a forum in London. He said the US could cope with Pakistan cutting off NATO supplies through its territory by channeling supplies through alternative routes. “But I’d like to believe that we could, over time, with Pakistan’s approval, restore those lines of communication,” he said. Dempsey, who declined to acknowledge the use of drones at the Shamsi airbase, said Pakistan’s demands for the base to be cleared out would be a “serious act in terms of our relationship.”
LAHORE
T
NASIR BUTT
He federal cabinet on Tuesday unanimously decided to pull out of the Bonn Conference, an international moot on Afghanistan’s future scheduled to be held in Germany on December 5, in protest against the NATO air strike in Mohmand Agency that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, throwing into question the future of Pakistan-US relations. Afghanistan, Germany and the US reacted with disappointment to news of the boycott, but indicated they hoped Islamabad could yet be persuaded to attend the moot. The cabinet met here at Punjab Governor’s House setting aside the usual agenda and discussed the post-attack situation, agreeing that unilateral actions such as the Abbottabad raid and Saturday’s attack on Pakistani checkposts in Mohmand were “not acceptable”. CABINET: The cabinet main-
tained that such incidents would not be tolerated and the NATO attack was an attack on Pakistan’s security and sovereignty. The cabinet also extended its deepest condolences to the families of the slain soldiers and offered fateha. The decision to boycott the Bonn Conference, called to deliberate upon a regional security framework in the wake of America’s exit from the region, is the third important step taken by the federal government after the NATO strikes to make its point. Pakistan has already cut off NATO supplies to Afghanistan going through Pakistan and has ordered the UAe government to return the Shamsi airbase, being used by the US, to Pakistan. During the emergency meeting of the cabinet, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar briefed the participants about the details of the NATO attack. She told the cabinet about the ongoing diplomatic efforts to highlight the violation of Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty and international
law. Khar also told the cabinet about her discussions with her Chinese, Russian and American counterparts about the incident and Pakistan’s reaction. The cabinet stated that Pakistan supported peace and stability in Afghanistan and looked forward to the success of the Bonn Conference, but in view of recent developments and prevailing circumstances it had decided not to participate. Prime Minister Gilani told his cabinet about the decisions of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC). He said there could be no compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity nor on the nation’s resolve to safeguard its frontiers at all costs. “Life is definitely precious to everyone, but we want to live with honour,” Gilani said. “We will not compromise on issues of national significance; instead, we will take a stand on them. continUed on Page 04
Parliament to decide US tieS | Page 24