Politicians condemn NATO airstrike on army checkposts

LAHORE: Prominent leaders of all mainstream political parties have declared the NATO choppers’ attack on the Pakistan Army check posts as a violation of international law and stressed that the government must retaliate to such acts of aggression in the future.

Leaders of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) expressed concern over the NATO attack, saying that the country would not tolerate such strikes in the future if these forces try to interfere in the territory of Pakistan. They added the Pakistan Army had a strong capability to counter the opponents’ attacks in a hard way.

In his reaction to the attack, PPP Punjab’s Acting President Samiullah Khan Durrani said Pakistan was an ally of the United States in the war on terror, but it would not compromise on its sovereignty and integrity. He said the government, military and the masses were united on the issue, adding that the NATO forces should avoid violating Pakistan’s territorial integrity in the future.

Another PPP leader Dr Fakharuddin Chaudhry condemned the attack on the army checkposts and called for NATO forces to respect the international law and territorial integrity of countries across the world.

PPP Lahore Information Secretary Tahir Khaleeque said that the NATO attack on the army was unacceptable and the government had a right to respond. He said the government wanted to resolve the matter amicably with the assurance from the NATO forces that they avoid such an attack in the future.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader and executive council member Mian Tahir Saddique said that the NATO forces had made a mistake by striking in the Pakistani territory, and had violated the international law. He urged the Pakistani authorities to take appropriate action against foreign forces and asked them to block the supply line of NATO forces in Pakistan.

Another PML-Q leader Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said that the government should order the Pakistani Army to retaliate to NATO attack in the future.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Umer Sarfraz Cheema, while commenting on the airstrike on the Pakistani territory, said Pakistan should strongly protest against the violation of its territory otherwise the NATO forces would increase drone and other attacks in Pakistani territory in days to come.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hassan, expressing solidarity with the Pakistan Army, urged the government to register its protest against the US Air Force for its involvement in the airstrike. He also urged the government to cut the supply line of NATO forces from Pakistan and refuse logistic support to these forces.

Several other leaders condemned the attack, saying that the NATO forces had violated Pakistan’s territorial integrity by striking inside its border and killing several Pakistan Army troops and injuring several others. They said such an act by a foreign army could not be tolerated.

NATO, a western military alliance led by the United States, consists of 28 member states. The NATO forces have been busy fighting fundamentalists in Afghanistan since 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks.