Pakistan Asks ISAF to Apologize

Islamabad has reportedly stressed that US-led NATO forces should accept responsibility and apologize for their recent violation of Pakistan's airspace.

Sources in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and in the Pakistani military told Pakistan's Dawn newspaper on Tuesday that the two sides disagree on the wording of a statement over a recent incident during which three Pakistani soldiers were killed when their outpost along the Afghan border was targeted by NATO forces.

According to reports, NATO intends to describe the violation as an act of self-defense while the Pakistani army considers it as avoidable.

The attack on Thursday has enraged Pakistan and strained its already stressed ties with NATO.

Pakistanis say that ISAF should apologize for the incident, but the coalition forces are only ready to express regrets and offer condolences to the families of the soldiers killed in the strike.

The Pakistani paper believes that the statement is important as it would determine if the current strain in Pakistan-US ties caused by repeated violations by NATO helicopters would stop or intensify.