Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas has said targeting Salala checkpost again by NATO helicopters when NATO was already informed about its first attack on this post was beyond comprehension. Talking to a private TV channel, the ISPR DG said no treaty existed between Pakistan and NATO forces for launching joint operation or moving to each other’s areas.
“However, border coordination centres were functioning on borders and when any operation is conducted at any place near the borders, information in advance is given in this respect,” he pointed out.
“What location was informed by NATO with reference to its operation ahead of its attack on checkpost was far away from Salala, but NATO forces attacked Salala checkpost,” the ISPR chief said. He said Pakistan authorities informed NATO that its checkpost had been shelled, but NATO helicopters came back and again targeted our checkpost, which was beyond comprehension. Earlier, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Pakistan “have elected to date not to participate [in US investigation], but we would welcome their participation”.
Washington had expected a refusal given the fury in Pakistan over the NATO attack, which has already seen Islamabad shut down NATO’s vital supply into Afghanistan and boycott an international conference on the war in Bonn set for Monday. A Pakistani security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that a formal reply would be conveyed to the Americans, but confirmed there was no interest in taking part in the inquiry. “Officially our response has yet to come, but we will not participate in the investigation because there was no outcome from the two previous inquiries and we feel that third inquiry will be the same, so there’s no purpose,” he said.
