German Chancellor phones Prime Minister

German Chancellor Angela Merkel telephoned Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday and expressed her personal and country's solidarity and friendship with the people and Government of Pakistan. The German Chancellor expressed her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives during Nato/ISAF strikes against the border posts in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister thanked the German Chancellor and said that he was touched by her sentiments and Pakistan valued the love and friendship by Germany. The German Chancellor expressed her desire that Pakistan's participation in the Bonn Conference was of utmost importance to Germany and stressed upon that Pakistan's representation was essential for making the conference meaningful.
The Prime Minister stated that Pakistan holds Germany in the highest esteem and attaches highest importance to peace, stability and sovereignty of Afghanistan. However, the Prime Minister said that in the current scenario, in which Afghanistan's soil has been used against Pakistan, both the Cabinet and the Government had decided that Pakistan's attendance in the Bonn Conference was no longer possible.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan had endured the largest number of casualties in the war on terror and had rendered the greatest sacrifices in its endeavours to support and secure Sovereign Afghanistan. The Prime minister said that Pakistan's public opinion was inflamed by the fact that the Afghan soil had been used against Pakistan killing 25 innocent soldiers and injuring many others. The German Chancellor requested the Prime Minister to reconsider Pakistan's participation in the Bonn Conference adding that Pakistan's seat should not be left vacant.
The German Chancellor insisted that Pakistan's Foreign Minister should attend the Conference. The Prime Minister regretted that he would not be able to oblige the German Chancellor in this regard. The German Chancellor suggested that Pakistan's Ambassador to Germany should be permitted to represent Pakistan in the Conference.
The Prime Minister said that since Germany and Pakistan had excellent relations in the past and also the German Foreign Minister was the first to express the solidarity with Pakistan and expressed condolences to the families who were killed in the Nato/ISAF attack, he would refer the matter to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to take the decision. The Prime Minister said that after the Parliamentary Committee on National Security's decision he would contact the German Chancellor.