"Pakistan will not allow foreign troops to operate inside its territory. Military action within our territory is the sole prerogative of the Pakistani armed forces," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a renowned think tank in London.
24 July 2008: PTI
Pakistan on Thursday insisted it would not allow foreign military action inside its territory to flush out militants from the restive tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
"Pakistan will not allow foreign troops to operate inside its territory. Military action within our territory is the sole prerogative of the Pakistani armed forces," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a renowned think tank in London.
He, however, said the country would not be daunted by the threats of terrorism.
"Invading the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) is not an option," he said. "It will not solve any issue. We feel that we have capable troops in Pakistan that can look after peace and security within our territory."
Qureshi said no country would tolerate a foreign country "coming in and attacking our territory. If that happens it would be very counter-productive."
