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ATO cross-border air attacks that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last weekend are a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and have prompted the country to “review” its terms of
engagement with the United States.

Pakistani Ambassador to Indonesia M. Sanaullah said Thursday that the NATO attacks, which came “out of nowhere”, were a serious violation of territorial sovereignty.

“The attacks were unprovoked, a very serious violation and we expect friends to support us,” he told The Jakarta Post at the latter’s office.

NATO helicopters and fighter jets attacked two military posts bordering northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday in the most serious incident of its kind since 2001, Reuters reported.

Quoting Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Sanaullah said the attacks had ensured US-Pakistan relations could not return to where “it used to be”. “We need their [the US’] assistance, we need them as a friend, our relations have been strong, but not free from tensions,” he said.

“Pakistan is not looking for an apology. And an apology would not be enough.”

According to Sanaullah, 24 people died and 18 were seriously injured, including young people, one major and one captain.

He said the major had come from a “very poor family”, and was engaged.

In a press statement released by the Pakistani government on Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the attacks demonstrated a “complete disregard for international law and human life”.

She conveyed a deep sense of rage prevailing in Pakistan to her US and British counterparts Hillary Clinton and William Hague, respectively, immediately after the attacks, in addition to the strong protest the Pakistani government has lodged at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

She also said the use of Afghan territory against Pakistan by the NATO/ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission in Afghanistan “is a violation of ISAF’s mandate for operations in Afghanistan”.

Both Hague and Clinton expressed sympathy on the loss of lives, according to the press statement.