Pakistan on Saturday rejected assertions by a United States military officer that American forces in Afghanistan have the authority to pursue Taliban and al Qaeda militants crossing into its territory.
"No one is allowed to cross into Pakistan's territorial border. Our own forces are capable enough to work in our areas," Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told reporters in Islamabad.
Reacting to comments by US military official Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute stating that US forces have the authority needed to pursue the militants, Aslam said, "The decisions regarding crossing into the territorial boundaries of another country for any action are not in the jurisdiction of local commanders or the military command.
"Such things are usually discussed at political level and presently there is no such understanding between Pakistan and the other side," she said.
The American troops have take a recourse to existing mechanism to discuss and address the issues, relating to law and order on border areas, she added.
There is a Tripartite Commission and a Joint Intelligence Centre that was has been established in Kabul to deal with such issues, she said.
She said that two days earlier the US Secretary of State had issued a statement saying there is no decision of crossing into the territorial order of any other country and added that neither there is any utility of such things nor the US desires to do so.
Aslam said the statement itself is enough to clarify the situation and added it should be noted that Pakistan and US are partners in war on terror.
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