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US incursions into Pakistan, violation of airspace: Zardari, Gilani vow to defend country’s territorial integrity

* President, PM speak on telephone, say country’s sovereignty must be respected ‘at all cost’
* Zardari in UK, will discuss FATA situation

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani vowed to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty in a telephone conversation late on Saturday.

“[Gilani] called the president of Pakistan... last night in Dubai and discussed with him the frequent violation of the country’s air space and incursions by the US forces,” said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Both the leaders have unanimity of views that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country should be respected at all cost.”

The two leaders “vowed to defend Pakistan” in the conversation made just before the president left for the UK.

Sources privy to the conversation told Daily Times the top leaders had been ‘uneasy’ with the reported US plan to go after targets in the Tribal Areas despite Pakistan’s protests. They said Gilani asked Zardari to press the UK to influence the US to stop the attacks.

Zardari reaches London: The president arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport early on Sunday where Pakistani High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan and senior embassy officials welcomed him.

“It is a private visit but the president will meet the British prime minister,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Muhammad Sadiq told AFP.

Pakistani state media said that Zardari would hold talks on “the emerging situation on the troubled Pak-Afghan border” in London.

“Pakistan would convey to Britain that it has done more in the war on terror than others,” the Associated Press of Pakistan quoted the high commissioner as saying.

A senior presidential aide told AFP Zardari had gone to London for his daughter Bakhtawar’s admission to the University of Edinburgh.

He will return to Pakistan on Thursday to address a joint sitting of parliament and will fly to New York on September 24 to attend the United Nations General Assembly session. staff report/agencies

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