Hunt for al Qaeda: Islamabad won't allow US attack on tribal areas: foreign office

The Foreign Office on Monday warned that any US action in Fata or any other part of the country would be unacceptable and stated that Pakistan is the best judge how to deal with al Qaida and other terrorist outfits.
"Any attack by the US would be detrimental to Pakistan-US counter terrorism co-operation," said Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam at the regular weekly briefing. Like any other country we remain deeply concerned over the possibility of al Qaida or any other terrorist entity establishing a sanctuary or grouping or regenerating inside our territory, she said in written statement. Our government and our security forces are determined not to permit such a development, she stated.
Pakistan is fighting terrorism in its own interest, she said. The terrorists have threatened Pakistan, attacked the security forces, killed innocent civilians and targeted the country's leadership. Ill-conceived action from any quarter, which is inconsistent with the principles of international law, would be deeply resented in the Tribal Areas in particular and Pakistan in general, she said.
"Such an action, as we have already stated, will be irresponsible and dangerous," she added. Under the agreed mechanism between Pakistan and the US, she said all counter terrorism measures inside Pakistan would be taken by our own security forces.
We are committed and will take firm action on the basis of information gathered through our own means or on concrete and actionable allied forces' intelligence shared with us. The unilateral action would complicate our ongoing efforts to fight al Qaida and other terrorist elements, she said. Responding to a question regarding the claims that Osama bin Laden was present in Pakistan's tribal region, she said, "We have absolutely no such information."
If the US or any other country had any evidence about the presence of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, it should be shared it with us. On question of US-India nuclear energy deal, the spokesperson said Pakistan's stand on the deal is quite clear to every one.
The deal will enhance India nuclear capability. "Pakistan believed that the transfer of civilian nuclear technology should be non-discriminatory," she said. Pakistan supports the idea of establishing nuclear power plants in the country to meet its energy demands.
Pakistan strictly adheres to the IAEA's nuclear safeguards and it will enhance its civil nuclear capability for energy security, she said. When asked whether Pakistan forces are prepared to deal with any possible action from the US or Nato on western border, she said that it was hypothetical question.
On the death of Zahir Shah, Ms Aslam said that the president and prime minister have condoled his death. "The news has saddened us as King Zahir Shah was an eminent personality of this region who played an important role as head of the Afghan nation for more than four decades, she said.