Pakistan warns US against violence

ISLAMABAD, OCT 31: Pakistan on Tuesday said any resort to "violence" by the United States in its row with Afghanistan over alleg...

ISLAMABAD, OCT 31: Pakistan on Tuesday said any resort to "violence" by the United States in its row with Afghanistan over alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden would be futile."

Any initiation of violence would only complicate the matter and aggravate the situation. It will resolve nothing," foreign office spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan said.

Dismissing as "speculation" fears of imminent US strikes against Afghanistan, he said: "We think such violence must not take place."

Story continues below this ad

Fears of a possible air strike arose after a blast killed 17 sailors aboard a US warship in Yemen on October 12. US investigators have not discounted the possibility that bin Laden could be behind the attack.

The US launched cruise missiles at some of bin Laden’s suspected terrorist camps in Afghanistan in August 1998, a few days after the twin bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in which 224 people were killed. Bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the embassy attacks and a well-known financier of Islamic militant groups, escaped unhurt.

The wealthy Saudi-born dissident is living in Afghanistan as a "guest" of the ruling Taliban Islamic militia, which has refused to extradite him to stand trial for the embassy attacks."

If any government has any problem relating to Afghanistan then that problem should be discussed with the government of Afghanistan," Khan said.

Story continues below this ad

He said Pakistan lodged a protest when US missiles violated its airspace on their way to Afghanistan in 1998.

Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar on Saturday said Pakistan had not allowed the use of its airspace for US attacks in the past and "it will not allow (it) in the future."

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the only three countries which recognise the Taliban regime.