PRESS RELEASE: The Pakistan Peace Coalition

(PPC) condemns NATO attack inside Pakistan borders; demands withdrawal of NATO forces from the region KARACHI,

Nov 27, 2011: The Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) has condemned the NATO forces’ deadly attack on the two military checkpoints inside Pakistan’s territory along the Pak-Afghan border, killing 25 Pakistani soldiers and injuring 13 others. The latest NATO attack is a part of a series of offensives by the NATO forces in Pakistan which has been going on since 2010. These attacks have targeted civilians as well as military personnel.

In a statement on Sunday, the PPC termed the latest aggression by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as uncalled for and a clear violation of international laws and treaties. The Coalition demanded immediate withdrawal of the NATO forces from the region while calling for an investigation into the incident by the United Nations Security Council.

“Pakistan does not fall under the ambit of the operational territory of the North
Atlantic forces and the NATO does not have the right to operate here. NATO forces’ presence in the area is a threat to the security and sovereignty of the countries of the South Asian and the Middle Eastern regions,” the statement said adding that the NATO forces have illegally occupied areas in Afghanistan and have also been interfering in the affairs of independent countries like Libya.

“Whether the NATO attack in Pakistan’s territory was intentional or accidental,
on both the conditions it is condemnable. We see it as no different from the drone attacks that have been illegally targeting our citizens for around seven years now while the perpetrators remain unaccountable and unpunished. Both these types of attacks need to be stopped and the terms of reference between various participants in the so called war on terror need to be made transparent and brought under the ambit of public accountability,” the PPC statement said. The Coalition also demanded
the US and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to pay
compensation to the deceased families.

The Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) is a civil society initiative comprising
numerous pro-peace organizations, groups and individuals from across Pakistan to promote the common goal for de-nuclearisation and peace in South Asia.
Ends

Released by:
Shujauddin Qureshi

Senior Research Associate

Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER)

Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi-75340

Ph: +(92-21) 36351145-7

Fax: +(92-21) 36350345

Cell: +(92)300-3929788

URL: www.piler.org.pk