Islamabad dismisses appeals to attend Bonn moot

As the Bonn conference scheduled for December 5 draws nearer, the United States and other allied nations are mounting pressure on Pakistan to participate, the latest bid in this regard coming on Wednesday from the leader of the host country, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who requested Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to reconsider the decision to boycott the international moot on the future of Afghanistan.
Gilani, however, turned down the request but said since Pakistan regarded Germany as a close friendly nation, he would refer the issue of participation at the ambassador level to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, which was meeting on Friday (tomorrow) to discuss and deliberate upon the NATO strike in Mohmand Agency that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The German leader had said there should be at least ambassador-level participation on the part of Pakistan, but the prime minister said after the parliamentary committee’s decision, he would contact her and respond to her proposal, said an official handout issued here by PM’s House.
During the conversation, the German chancellor expressed her country’s solidarity and friendship with the people and government of Pakistan. She expressed her condolences to the families of those who had lost their lives during the NATO/ISAF strikes.
The prime minister thanked Merkel for her gesture and said he was touched by her sentiments and Pakistan valued the love and friendship of Germany. Merkel said Pakistan’s attendance at the Bonn conference was of the utmost importance to Germany and said Pakistan’s representation was essential to making the conference meaningful.
The prime minister said Pakistan held Germany in the highest esteem and attached the highest importance to the peace, stability and sovereignty of Afghanistan. However, in the current scenario in which Afghan soil had been used against Pakistan, both the cabinet and the government had decided that Pakistan attending the Bonn Conference was no longer possible, he added.
Gilani also said public opinion in Pakistan was inflamed by the fact that Afghan soil had been used against Pakistan in the attack. Before Merkel, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had also urged Islamabad to attend the moot, reportedly saying in Korea that Pakistan’s decision not to attend was “regrettable” but stopped short of apologising for the deaths of 24 soldiers in the NATO strikes.
Clinton pledged an investigation “as swiftly and thoroughly as possible” into the “tragic incident” and hoped Pakistan would find a “follow-up way” to take part in the talks. Gilani has said the US will vacate the strategically important Shamsi airbase on December 11.
Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi also called Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and expressed condolences over the loss of life in the NATO/ISAF attack and termed the incident a matter of huge concern. Khar briefed the Italian foreign minister on the incident, its ramifications and said the attack reflected “callous” behavior. Although the government confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that Pakistan would not attend the conference, Gilani appeared to set a condition for Pakistan to attend.
Briefing reporters on a call made by Afghan President Hamid Karzai asking him to reconsider, “I replied that the territory of Afghanistan was being used against Pakistan and he said it was done by NATO and I told him to talk to the US about it.”
“I told him that we have to protect our country and work for its security and defence. If we go to Bonn for you then who will guarantee our security? We cannot just go like this if someone will not ensure our security,” he added.