General Kayani orders troops to respond to Nato aggressions with full force
Friday, December 2nd, 2011 8:19:14 by Asma Rafique
General Kayani orders troops to respond to Nato aggressions with full force
The top management of Pakistan army on Thursday ordered its troops to return fire if they face a Nato incursion in future, raising the prospect of further deadly clashes along the 6,975 Km long border that the company shares with the terrorism-stricken
Afghanistan.
The latest orders were given by the Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in the aftermath of November 26 Nato air attack on two Pakistan border outposts that had left 24 Pakistan soldiers and dead and 13 others injured.
The more than two-hour shelling by Nato and ISAF helicopters has left Kayani under immense pressure from within his own ranks as the Pakistan Air Force had not responded to the assault.
"I want to emphasise and leave no ambiguity in the rules of engagement for everyone down the chain of command," Kayani said in a letter to his troops. "When under attack, you have full liberty of action to respond with all capabilities at your disposal.
This will require no clearance at any level.
"I have very clearly directed that any act of aggression will be responded to with full force, regardless of the cost and consequences."
The communique, issued in Urdu, will be read out by local commanders to their soldiers.
Kayani also said that the air force did not respond to the Nato attack "due to breakdown of communication with the affected posts".
Government of Pakistan had immediately closed all the supply routes of Nato from its territory besides giving US a deadline of 15 days to evacuate Shamsi airbase. The federal cabinet of Pakistan, in its meeting under PM Gilani’s chairmanship also decided
to boycott next week’s crucial Bonn conference on Afghanistan in a protest to the blatant Nato attack.
In the meanwhile, the relatives of the two dozen Pakistan soldiers who lost their lives to an unprovoked, deadly Nato air attack last weekend have sought justice urging the Pakistan government to stick to its uncompromising stance.
Tags: ISAF, NATO, Shamsi airbase, US
Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=5420
Posted by Asma Rafique
on Dec 2 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
