Pakistan will not allow foreign troops on its soil: Qureshi

* Foreign minister says Islamabad will not give or accept any blank cheque
* Says world should recognise Pakistan as nuclear power
MULTAN: No foreign military would be allowed to set foot in Pakistan and the country’s law enforcement agencies will conduct anti-terrorism operations inside the country, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday.He told reporters at the Multan airport on his arrival that during his recent visit to Washington, he had conveyed to the US that NATO would not be allowed to conduct operations in Pakistan. They have understood our point of view and accepted it, he added. He said that the US has introduced a bill worth $10.5 billion for Pakistan, which comprises $7.5 billion as economic assistance and $3 billion for military assistance. He hoped more assistance would be forthcoming in the wake of the Friend of Democratic Pakistan meeting scheduled for April 17 in Tokyo.No blank cheque: Referring to US President Barack Obama’s statement on “no blank cheques”, he said Pakistan would neither give any blank cheque, nor would it accept any. “We are a sovereign country and a nation with self-esteem,” he said, adding that while the US is a military and economic power, Islamabad wants to negotiate with them on the basis of equality as an ally.The foreign minister said defeat in the war on terror was not an option for Pakistan. He said the terrorists were challenging the writ of government and wanted to impose their own system. He said there are two different kinds of elements in the troubled areas: the irreconcilable elements with whom the government would not negotiate and the reconcilable elements with whom talks were an option. Qureshi also urged the world to accept Pakistan’s status as a nuclear power and recognise it as had been done with India. “We are a responsible nuclear power and it will be appropriate that the world should recognise it,” he added. To questions on a rocket launch by North Korea, he said Pakistan was against nuclear proliferation and would move along with the world for the noble cause of peace. He said Pakistan wants resumption of composite dialogue process with India, adding Islamabad would welcome any help from ‘friends’ in this regard.He said that special US envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Ambassador Richard Hallbrook would visit Pakistan on April 7. He said the narcotics trade was funding extremism and terrorism and sought combined efforts of regional countries to stop that. He also expressed grief over the recovery of over 50 dead bodies from a container. Qureshi strongly condemned the public flogging of a girl in Swat, saying it was against sharia. He said a three-member UN panel would soon meet to prepare modalities for investigations into the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. He also condemned the suicide blast in Chakwal. app