China: Tensions remain between Pakistan and the US

Xinhua

Pakistani opposition leader terms U.S. raid as "attack on sovereignty"


ISLAMABAD, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani opposition leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday described the unilateral operation by the U.S. Special Forces to kill Osama bin Laden as "a major attack on Pakistan's sovereignty."

Pakistani political, religious parties, legal community and rights groups are critical at the U.S. raid without informing the Pakistani government on a compound in Abbottabad where the al- Qaida chief had lived.

Several political leaders are even demanding resignations of the president and the prime minister.

"The Osama incident is a major attack on Pakistan's sovereignty, independence, and self-respect," Nawaz Sharif said.

He told reporters in Lahore that if actions are not taken to stop such incidents in future Pakistan would face more dangers and risks.

The former prime minister said that Pakistan is in danger and the nation will have to steer the country out of the crisis. Sharif said that he has convened an urgent meeting of his party leadership in Islamabad on Tuesday to review the situation arising from the U.S. operation in the highly sensitive Pakistani area.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief also referred to the incident of the CIA contractor Raymond Davis who killed two Pakistanis in Lahore in late January saying these actions have pushed the country to crisis. He said the Pakistani nation is highly concerned over these incidents and there is a need to chalk out a strategy to avoid such incidents in future.

Meanwhile former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri demanded a detailed inquiry as to how the U.S. military helicopters intruded Pakistani airspace and conducted operation for 40 minutes and the Pakistani radar system could not detect foreign helicopters.

Kasuri, a leader of the opposition Muslim League (Like Minded group) told a news conference in Lahore that the Pakistani TV channels had immediately reported the crash of a military helicopter involved in the U.S. operation but the Pakistani forces could not take any action.

"There is need for investigation as the people of Pakistan wants answers to many questions about our inability to get information about the U.S. 40-minute intrusion," he said.

Editor: Xiong Tong

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