ISLAMABAD: Islamabad has so far refused to take part in a US probe into air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, exacerbating fears Saturday of a prolonged US-Pakistani crisis as a result of the attack.
Pakistan was invited to cooperate in the probe into the November 26 strikes on the Afghan border, which enraged Islamabad and propelled US-Pakistani ties to their rockiest in years, but officials have declined to do so.
"They have elected to date not to participate, but we would welcome their participation," said Pentagon press secretary George Little.
Washington had expected a refusal given the fury in Pakistan, which has already seen Islamabad shut down NATO's vital supply into Afghanistan and boycott an international conference on the war in Bonn set for Monday.
Pakistan also ordered American personnel to leave the Shamsi air base, widely understood to have been a hub for a covert CIA drone war on Taliban and Al-Qaeda commanders.
In Pakistan, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity Saturday that a formal reply would be conveyed to the Americans, but confirmed there was no interest in taking part in the inquiry.
"Officially our response has yet to come, but we will not participate in the investigation because there was no outcome from the two previous inquiries and we feel that third inquiry will be the same, so there's no purpose," he said.
Pakistan claims NATO attacks in 2010 and 2008 were poorly investigated.
But a Pakistani official told AFP that the Americans relayed the wrong coordinates, instead for a site 15 kilometres (nine miles) to the north.
"This is totally ridiculous," he said on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
"They thought there is some activity in that particular area... We confirmed there was no activity in that area. After some time, the same border coordination centre said we're sorry it's the wrong coordinates," he added.
Pakistan says there was then a second air strike.
"The first strike could have been a mistake. They pulled out. What was the purpose of coming again? That is the most disgusting thing," the official said.
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