ISLAMABAD: Pakistan warned the United States on Tuesday to stop accusing it of playing a double game with militants and, facing a crisis in relations with its ally, heaped fresh praise on "all-weather friend" China.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, speaking exclusively to Reuters, said any unilateral military action by the United States to hunt down militants of the Haqqani network inside Pakistan would be a violation of his country's sovereignty.
However, speaking from his office in Islamabad, he side-stepped a string of questions on the tense relations with the United States and offered no indications of any steps Pakistan might take to soothe the current fury in Washington.
The outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, last week described the Haqqani network, the most violent faction among Taliban militants in Afghanistan, as a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's ISI spy agency and accused Islamabad of providing support for the group's Sept. 13 attack on the US embassy in Kabul.
"The negative messaging, naturally that is disturbing my people," Gilani said in the interview. "If there is messaging that is not appropriate to our friendship, then naturally it is extremely difficult to convince my public. Therefore they should be sending positive messages."
Since Mullen's comments, Pakistan has launched a diplomatic counter-attack, and attempted to drum up support from its strongest ally in the region, China.
Pakistani officials have been heaping praise on China since its public security minister arrived here on Monday for high-level talks.
"We are true friends and we count on each other," Gilani said in separate comments broadcast on television networks after talks with Meng Jianzhu on Tuesday.
The military also said it appreciated its giant Asian neighbour's support. Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani thanked Meng for China's "unwavering support".
Copyright Reuters, 2011
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