Enraged Pakistan boycotts Bonn conference on Afghanistan

Pakistan has decided not to attend an international conference on Afghanistan as a protest against NATO attack on Nov. 26, which killed 28 of its soldiers. The decision was taken at a meeting of the federal Cabinet which was presided over by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Lahore on Tuesday. Islamabad's decision to boycott next week’s meeting in the German city of Bonn on securing peace after NATO combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014 means a key player that can lean on Taleban militants to join the process will be absent. “The Cabinet reaffirmed Pakistan's support for stability and peace in Afghanistan and the importance of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of reconciliation,” the government said. “Pakistan looks forward to the success of this conference but in view of developments and prevailing circumstances has decided not to participate in the conference.” The Cabinet branded “unilateral action” such as Saturday’s NATO strike and the May 2 US killing of Osama Bin Laden, which brought the US relationship to its lowest level in years, “unacceptable.” The prime minister said that there would be no compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity nor on the nation’s resolve to safeguard its frontiers no matter what the cost. The Afghan and German governments reacted with disappointment to any boycott, but both indicated it hoped that Islamabad could yet be persuaded. Afghanistan said Islamabad had an "important" role to play at the conference. "We hope our Pakistani brothers will be there," Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai told AFP, saying his ministry had received no official confirmation from Pakistan that it would not attend.