Islamabad, Sep 15: Pakistan today hit back at Defense Secretary Leon Panetta over his warning that the US would retaliate against militants based in this country, terming his remarks "out of line" with the ongoing bilateral counter- terrorism cooperation.
Reacting to remarks by Panetta and US Vice President Joe Biden that were critical of Pakistan's role in the war on terror, Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said Islamabad could act against any high-value targets only if there is timely intelligence-sharing.
"We have seen the remarks attributed to US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta carried by the media today. These remarks seem to be out of line with the type of cooperation and the extent of cooperation that exists between the two sides on counter-terrorism," Janjua said in her opening statement at the weekly news briefing at the Foreign Office.
Islamabad's cooperation in the US-led war on terror is "premised on respect for Pakistan's sovereignty and entails joint actions," she said.
"Pakistan condemns terrorism and terrorist incidents anywhere in the world. Terrorism and militancy are complex issues. These require close cooperation among all concerned," she said.
Asked about Biden's criticism of Pakistan as an unreliable ally in the campaign against terror and reports that the US could take unilateral action against terrorists based in Pakistan, Janjua replied: "Pakistan has always said timely intelligence-sharing is critical for addressing issues like high value targets".

Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST