ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar yesterday said that the nation would take a “pragmatic approach” to prevent missile attacks by the US inside Pakistan’s tribal regions. His statement indicated that Pakistan is backing off suggestions it might confront US troops making raids into its territory in search of militants. It also hinted that Islamabad would deal diplomatically with Washington over the stepped-up tactics.
Although officials are still unhappy over a recent surge in attacks aimed at Taleban and Al-Qaeda havens in the areas near the Afghan border, they also seem to realize there is not much they can do other than try to convince the US that the strategy is counterproductive because it is generating sympathy for the militants and public anger against both governments because of civilian casualties.
US President George W. Bush secretly approved more aggressive cross-border operations in July.
A group of tribal elders representing about a half-million people in the North Waziristan area near the Afghan border, where most of the missile attacks have occurred, threatened yesterday to join forces with Taleban militants in Afghanistan.
“If America doesn’t stop attacks in tribal areas, we will prepare a lashkar (army) to attack US forces in Afghanistan,” chief tribal elder Malik Nasrullah told a news conference in Miranshah.
The government and military have issued stiff condemnation to Washington over the recent rash of cross-border strikes, although the criticism appeared to be mostly rhetoric aimed at soothing domestic anger. — With input from agencies
