"There is no room or legal sanctions for any cross-border operation by U.S. forces to pursue fugitives into Pakistani territory. We have no such policy," Hayat

ISLAMABAD, January 3 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Pakistan's Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat Friday, January 3, rejected the U.S. military's statement that it was allowed to pursue attackers of its forces in Afghanistan into neighboring Pakistan.

"There is no room or legal sanctions for any cross-border operation by U.S. forces to pursue fugitives into Pakistani territory. We have no such policy," Hayat told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"There is no question of allowing any hot pursuit into our territory," he said.

Another senior Pakistani official, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid, also reacted sharply to the hot pursuit claims.

"We would like to remind them (U.S. military) that we are perfectly capable of securing our borders and the question of allowing any foreign troops into Pakistani territory does not even arise," Rashid told AFP.

U.S. Says It Could Pursue Attackers into Pakistan

On Thursday, January 2, the U.S. military said its troops may pursue attackers into war-on-terror ally Pakistan from within Afghanistan if they come under fire from "hostile forces" along the border.

"U.S. forces acknowledge the internationally recognized boundaries of Afghanistan, but may pursue attackers who attempt to escape into Pakistan to evade capture or retaliation," the U.S. military said in a press statement.

"This is done with the express consent of the Pakistani government... We continue to operate, and have the freedom to operate where we choose."

The revelation came as the U.S. military sought to clarify events surrounding a December 29 clash between its soldiers in Afghanistan and a Pakistani border guard that led to a U.S. warplane bombing a religious school which Islamabad says is in Pakistani territory.

The statement said last weekend's operation, in which a U.S. soldier was wounded when he was shot in the head by a Pakistani border guard, was "in response to attacks made by hostile forces."

"Coalition forces will defend themselves from attack," it said.

A Harrier jet dropped a 500-pound bomb on the school after a Pakistani border scout fired on a U.S. patrol and retreated to the school, from where firing continued, a U.S. military spokeswoman said.

Islamabad said the bomb fell in Pakistani territory, while the U.S. spokeswoman claimed the building was within the internationally recognized Afghan border.

She said it was in "a gray area," 300 meters beyond a Pakistani border post which had been established inside Afghan territory.

Reports of the incident have outraged Pakistan's Islamic-ruled North West Frontier Province, where anti-U.S. feeling has run high during the 14-month old military campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

U.S. forces have been working with Pakistani troops along the border to hunt al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives for more than a year.

Excellent Cooperation

Pakistan's Hayat described the cooperation as "excellent."

"Pakistani agencies and forces have been carrying out the task successfully and there is close liaison with coalition forces operating in Afghanistan," the minister said.

"In view of the close cooperation, there is no question of allowing any hot pursuit into our territory."

Another government official told AFP, on condition of anonymity, that there was an exchange of fire between the U.S. and Pakistani forces, and that two border scouts were injured.

He said tension had been brewing for several days between the two sides at the border over the Pakistani post.

"The coalition forces were taunting Pakistani scouts that the post they had set up was inside Afghan territory," the official said.

"A scout had a nasty fight with some members of coalition forces and returned to his base and fired at the coalition patrol.