Pak MPs : NATO jets violate Pakistan airspace

Lawmakers in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province said here Monday NATO fighter planes have violated Pakistani airspace and demanded that the central government should halt the violations. A provincial minister Engineer Zamruk Khan told the assembly that the NATO planes had crossed into Pakistani territory in Qila Abdullah, a district that shares the border with Afghanistan, in Balochistan Province.  Khan, who belongs to the Pashtoon nationalist Awami National Party (ANP), raised the issue on a point of order during a Balochistan Assembly session.  He said that the NATO forces had violated the Pakistani airspace by making a 20 minute low flight in the area two days back.  He demanded that the federal government should raise the issue with the NATO officials and the United States.  “This is creating fear and panic among the people living in the bordering district,” Khan told the house. “The people are assuming these airspace violations as an indication from Nato forces that they will soon launch an airstrike in our district.”  He said low-flying of jets over Pakistani areas caused panic among the dwellers of the border areas. He demanded of the federal government to conduct an inquiry  in this regard. He said the government should take notice of this violation and prevent the US from infringing the sovereignty of Pakistan.  The ANP condemned the violation and demanded immediate action. Leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) also expressed their concern over the presence of Americans in the region and said peace could not be restored until they were driven out from the region.  There was no statement from the US and NATO about the airspace violation claim.