Islamabad warns Afghanistan over cross-border raids
Monday, 16 Jun 2008 12:50
Pakistan warns Afghanistan against conducting military operations on its territory
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Pakistan has warned Afghanistan against conducting military operations on its territory.
Islamabad told its neighbour it would be prepared to defend itself after Afghan president Hamid Karzai revealed he was planning to attack pro-Taliban militants on Pakistani soil.
Mr Karzai told journalists cross-border raids in Pakistan would amount to "self-defence" on Afghanistan's part.
But Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi responded on Monday by insisting the south Asian country would "defend its territorial sovereignty".
"Since the two countries are faced with a common enemy it was all the more necessary that Afghanistan refrain from making irresponsible threatening statements," he was quoted as saying by the official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr Karzai had said: "Afghanistan has the right of self defence. When [militants] cross the territory from Pakistan to come and kill Afghans and kill coalition troops, it exactly gives us the right to go back and do the same."
The Afghan president's remarks have ratcheted up tensions further after an air strike from allied US-led forces killed 11 Pakistani soldiers in the country's tribal region last week.
Pakistan denies allegations that it is providing a safe-haven for Taliban in the area and states that it is doing its best to stop infiltration and deal with terrorists operating from the area.
The country supported the Taliban movement until the events of September 11th, 2001 when it aligned itself with the US and joined the war on terror. It has always refused to have foreign troops on its soil stating that it is sovereign over its own territory.