Pakistan has told the US that it would be forced to retaliate if American forces launch unilateral strikes on the Taliban on Pakistani soil,according to a media report published today. The message was personally delivered by ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha to CIA head Gen David Petraeus during the formers recent trip to the US,an official familiar with the development told The Express Tribune newspaper. Pasha told Petraeus that the Pakistani people will not tolerate any US misadventure and the government would be left with no option but to retaliate if the US launched a unilateral raid,the report said. A spokesman for the Inter-Services Public Relations said the report was factually incorrect and misleading. Media should refrain from speculative reporting on sensitive issues related to national security, he said. According to the report,a senior ISI official had told a closed-door meeting of the Pakistan Senate Standing Committee on Defence yesterday that we cannot be caught off guard this time, referring to the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden and greatly embarrassed Pakistan. This time,we will give them a surprise if they dare. Rezaul H Laskar
