Pak PM says US fearing 9/11-like attacks from FATA
15 Jul 2008, 1046 Hrs

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Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the US was concerned about the worsening situation in FATA because it feared that another incident similar to the 9/11 attacks could be staged from this area.

He said that Washington had reservations against 'foreign militants' from countries like Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, who were turning the situation from bad to worse in FATA.

"When there is interference in FATA from people who do not belong to your country and they are coming from Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan and they are militants disturbing the peace of the country, naturally they (US) object because they don't want ... another (incident) of the same nature as 9/11 to take place," the Daily Times quoted Gilani as saying in Islamabad.

He added that his government's top priority was to restore peace and prosperity in the country, especially in the tribal belt.

Gilani said that terrorists should be separated from the people who wanted peace and reiterated that Pakistan was a sovereign state. He said that no one would be allowed to interfere in the country's internal affairs.

Gilani dispelled the impression that PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari influenced the government's decisions, saying that consultations were conducted at all levels. No decisions had been taken at Zardari House, he said and added that he had not even visited it after becoming the prime minister. (ANI)