Pakistan to retaliate against future attacks: Khar

Pakistan to retaliate against future attacks: Khar

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that Pakistan would retaliate against all future attacks.She was presiding over the two-day envoys conference that kicked off at the Foreign Office where senior officials of the ministry put their heads together to mull over Pakistan s foreign policy issues in the wake of the Mohmand Agency air strike that the United States and Nato refuse to apologise for.The ISI chief told the envoys that the Nato attack was intentional and provocative. Sixteen representatives from Pakistan s missions in the US, Europe, Afghanistan and India arrived in the federal capital to attend the conference. Monday s meeting ended with a dinner at the Foreign Office; participants are expected to come up with their recommendations today. Though no drastic changes are expected, ?We will see some fine tuning of our foreign policy as we continue to face fresh challenges in the region,? is how one diplomat put it.Earlier, it was clear that Pakistan was not taking its bilateral ties with the United States to a point of no return, when Foreign Minister Khar told The News: ?We value our relations with the United States and Nato countries. Reassessment in our foreign policy will help us bring clarity which will be in the long term interest of our engagements with the US and others?.Those who addressed Monday s session included Foreign Minster Khar, Finance Minister Hafeez Pasha, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne and ISI DG General Ahmed Shuja Pasha. At least for now, the civil and military establishment is on the same page, which sends a strong and clear message to world capitals that Pakistan won t be taken for granted, specially because of its role in the region.The Foreign Office spokesman last Thursday, while announcing the conference, said foreign policy is being reviewed after decisions taken by the federal cabinet and the Defence Committee. He said the envoys recommendations will be taken to parliament for a debate before Prime Minister Gilani makes a final announcement. ?The purpose of the conference will be to deliberate on different aspects of Pakistan s foreign policy,? he had said.There was no official statement from the Foreign Office after the first day of the conference. Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani will address the participants today (Tuesday), said Foreign Office sources.