The FINANCIAL — Pakistan filed a diplomatic protest with the Afghan government in connection with the Nato-led air strike which left 24 soldiers dead, the foreign ministry said.
"The protest underscores that the use of Afghan territory against Pakistan by Nato/ISAF is also a violation of ISAF's mandate for operations in Afghanistan," a ministry statement said.
The Afghan government was asked to take necessary measures to ensure that such acts are not carried out from its territory against Pakistan.
Earlier, Pakistan had lodged strong protests with US and Nato after the attack early on Saturday on the Pakistani border post in Mohmand area.Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar called US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton early yesterday and conveyed to her "the deep sense of rage" across Pakistan.Khar informed Clinton of the decisions made on Saturday evening by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC), the country's highest forum for defence policy consultation and coordination.
The DCC decided to immediately close down the Nato/ISAF supply lines that pass through Pakistan and to ask the US to vacate the Shamsi air base in Balochistan, which was previously used for drone attacks, within 15 days.
The committee also decided that the government would "revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes, activities and cooperation arrangements with US/Nato/ISAF including diplomatic, political, military and intelligence".
Khar told Clinton that such attacks are totally unacceptable and that they "demonstrate complete disregard for international law and human life, and are in stark violation of Pakistani sovereignty".
According to the ministry statement, Clinton condoled with Khar on the loss of lives and said that she was "deeply saddened" by the event. Clinton conveyed "the US government's desire to work with Pakistan to resolve this issue."
Khar also spoke to British Foreign Secretary William Hague and apprised him of the anger in Pakistan over the attack, the ministry said.
Hague has reportedly "expressed sympathy on the loss of lives". Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the Pakistani foreign minister and expressed solidarity with the government.
Davutoglu assured Khar that Turkey as a member of Nato would ask for an impartial enquiry into the attack and stated that the "loss of Pakistani soldiers was as painful as losing Turkish soldiers".
In their editorials, local newspapers underscored the serious repercussions of Saturday's attack on the already fragile Pakistan-US relationship.
"Incidents like the Saturday raid will only fuel more anti-American sentiments in Pakistan that will ultimately jeopardise longer-term US interests in the region," The News, a prominent daily newspaper, said.
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