News
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Violation of Pak sovereignty not acceptable: China, Russia
MOSCOW/BEIJING: Russia and China on Monday said that violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was unacceptable. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to brief them on the unprovoked NATO/ISAF attack on the Pakistani territory and the decisions taken by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet. She underscored that besides being a gross violation of established international norms, such attacks pose a threat to regional peace and stability as well. The Russian foreign minister said that a nation’s sovereignty should always be upheld, even when hunting “terrorists”. “Leaders of NATO in Afghanistan should carry out a meticulous investigation into this incident,” Lavrov told Khar. The Russian foreign minister underscored that Pakistan and Russia were partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and also partners in promoting regional cooperation. A statement issued by the foreign ministry said, “The Russian foreign minister emphasised the unacceptability of violating the sovereignty of states, including during the planning and carrying out of counter-terrorist operations.” Separately, Hina Rabbani Khar spoke to Jiechi and had a 40-minute conversation in which she informed him of the extreme outrage in Pakistan on the unprovoked attacks, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Jiechi expressed deep shock and strong concern over the incident and extended condolences to the aggrieved families. He said that Pakistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and called for a thorough and serious investigation into the matter. The deadly strikes on Saturday have raised tensions between Islamabad and Washington. staff report/agenciesCourtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk