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Haqqani row: Pak's Gilani calls back Khar from US

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar before their meeting at a hotel in New York. Both are in New York for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly - AFP
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton shakes hands with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar before their meeting at a hotel in New York. Both are in New York for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly - AFP

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday called back Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar from the US amid strained ties with Washington following an accusation that Pakistan was supporting the Haqqani terror network.

Khar was called back for consultations over the strained relationship between Pakistan and the US, Online news agency quoted sources as saying.

US military commanders have accused Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, of supporting the Haqqani network for carrying out two attacks on the US embassy in Kabul and US military base in Afghanistan's Wadak province this month.

Gilani also called an all-party conference to build consensus on Pakistan's stance over the US threats. Khar will attend the conference to brief the political parties over Islamabad's ties with Washington.

The prime minister also called up President Asif Ali Zardari and took him into confidence regarding the developments.

He also telephonically discussed with different political parties the situation arising out of US accusing Pakistan of supporting Haqqani network.

Gilani spoke to Sheikh Rasheed of the Awami Muslim League, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Altaf Hussain of the Muttahid Quami Movement, the Nation qouted sources as saying.

Ties between Washington and Islamabad have been strained after the May 2 killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.

They dipped further when the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, Thursday accused the Pakistani government of supporting the Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network.

Mullen called the Haqqani network a 'veritable arm' of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the country's spy agency, as he testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the US strategy in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said the ISI-supported Haqqani network was behind recent attacks in Afghanistan including the Sep 11 truck bomb attack and the Sep 13 assault on the US embassy in Kabul.

Mullen said the Pakistani government's link to the extremist group would undermine the already troubled US-Pakistani relationship as well as the US-led counterterrorism campaign in Afghanistan.

Pakistan, however, dismissed US accusations that the ISI is using the Haqqani network for a proxy war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Your Comment
Alex 27/09/2011 - 12:30am

When are Americans going to learn that respecting other countries, their representatives, their sovereignty.their religion and their people, is the only way to win their trust? Neither drones nor attacks on Pakistan will make Pakistan a real friend of United States.

Bombing PAK 27/09/2011 - 12:25am

I think Russia will be ecstatic to see the two of her main rivals in Afghanistan having a go at each other. Taliban who waged war with USSR have been eliminated by its main backer, now it's Pakistan and perhaps some day Saudia the financer will pay for 9/11 allegations.

Danny 26/09/2011 - 11:08pm

US is getting ready to invade. After all the US supports endless wars for Israel, it all started nearly a decade ago under a false flag attack.

ghouri 26/09/2011 - 03:18pm

This was expected as Washington is deceiving Pakistan and CIA is involved in subversive activities. Americans are used to to deceive Pakistan and is a long history and now it's the peak. We mounted an operation in North Waziristan and killed our own people for America and Americans are activelly engaged with RAW and other agencies to make this country unstable.
They are financing terrorists together with India and are blaming Pakistan.

gUPTA 25/09/2011 - 11:00pm

What was Pak minister Hina doing in the US ? Begging ?

you sound indian 27/09/2011 - 03:16am

This has to be an Indian.

Alex 27/09/2011 - 12:32am

She was attending the session of the United Nations. Pakistan does not beg.