Global General

Pakistan defends intelligence body

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-05 21:04

ISLAMABAD -- Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Thursday said that Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) has the potential to combat terrorism and insisted that ISI is mindful of its international obligations.

Holding a press conference in capital city Islamabad, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir denied the comment of CIA chief Leon Panetta that ISI had been either "involved or incompetent" regarding Osama bin Laden issue.

He said that ISI has a brilliant record in serving the country and fighting terrorism so it should not be criticized on a single argument regarding Osama bin Laden.

"To infer that the ISI provided cover for Osama bin Laden is absolutely wrong," he said.

The foreign secretary also reiterated that Pakistan was not consulted by the United States over the Abbottabad assault that led to the killing of al-Qaida's chief.

He also took on India for recent remarks that if needed they would carry out an operation similar to the one that killed Osama to nab those wanted for Mumbai attack in 2008. He warned that any country that again seeks to raid Pakistan's territory would face consequences from Pakistan's military.

"We feel that that sort of misadventure or miscalculation would result in a terrible catastrophe," he said. "There should be no doubt Pakistan has adequate capacity to ensure its own defense."

He said that the first and the foremost issue for the government is to protect the sovereignty of Pakistan. Expressing his unhappiness, he said that it was not the first time that the issue of sovereignty has come up and reminded other countries to respect Pakistan's rights.

The foreign secretary said Pakistan's relation with the United States would not be affected after the covert operation taken up by the United States to eliminate Osama bin Laden, adding that Pakistan would remain committed as a nation to purge the region from terrorism.