Pakistan not to attend Bonn conference on Afghanistan

Pakistan not to attend Bonn conference on Afghanistan

Pakistan on Tuesday decided to boycott next week crucial Bonn Conference on Afghanistan’s future in a protest against cross-border NATO air attack last weekend that killed 24 Pakistan troops, including two officers, and left 13 injured.

Pakistan’s decision to stay away from the important conference to be held in the German city on December 5 could further ratchet up tensions between Islamabad and Washington as the country has already closed all Nato Supply routes besides giving United States
a deadline of 15 days to vacate Shamsi airbase.

The decision to boycott Bonn Conference was taken at a three-hour special meeting of the federal cabinet presided by Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani at the Governor House in Lahore on Tuesday afternoon.

“We want to live with honour and dignity,” said Gilani and urged the nation to stand by government. He urged the nation to stand beside the government so that it could coup with the challenges being faced by the country, both internally and externally. 

The federal cabinet, during the meeting, also endorsed the decision made by the defence committee of the cabinet to close all NATO supply routes and to ask the US to vacate Shamsi airbase.

Gilani said the joint session of parliament will be summoned after he receives the recommendations of parliamentary committee on national security on the NATO attack and the ‘memogate’ affair.

Earlier, Gilani had warned that following the unprovoked incursion on Pakistan outpost, it would no longer be "business as usual" with Washington.

The Pakistan Army has reportedly lost 72 in NATO attacks over the past three years. Every time US and Nato officials promised such incidents would not be repeated in the future. Gilani said that life is precious for everyone and the people of Pakistan want
to live with honour and dignity.

Gilani extended his condolences to families of the soldiers who were killed in the NATO air strike in Mohmand tribal region.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=5065

Posted by Asma Rafique on Nov 29 2011. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry