Pakistan orders US to vacate Shamsi Airbase within 15 days

Pakistan on Saturday ordered the United States to vacate the Shamsi airbase within 15 days and closed NATO supply lines into Afghanistan in response to a deadly cross-border NATO air strike. This was announced following a meeting for the Federal Cabinet''s Defence Committee attended by CJSC, COAS and the Naval and Air Force chiefs. The meeting was also attended by the Interior, Defence, Foreign, Information and Finance Ministers while senior minister Pervaiz Elahi and the secretary defence were also in attendance. The Defence Committee that met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, hours after the Nato strike in Pakistan that killed 24 troops, categorically said that attacks on Pakistan check posts were unacceptable. It was also decided that the Prime Minister would take the Parliament into confidence on Pak-US relations. Parliament will also be taken into confidence over the shape of Pakistan''s future relations with Nato and ISAF, The News International reported. Condemning the Nato attack, the committee said that the strike violated international laws. The defence body said no compromise would be made on the sovereignty and protection of the country. "People and army will ensure Pakistan''s sovereignty and integrity at any cost." It termed the attacks on Pakistan check posts as completely unacceptable and rejected the labeling of today''s event as accidental.