Special report: Pakistani Situation

    ISLAMABAD, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Thursday strongly condemned as "shameful and unprovoked" an attack by Afghanistan-based U.S.-led coalition in its tribal region, which killed some 20 people.

    "It was a shameful, uncalled for and unprovoked incident and innocent people were killed," Qureshi said in the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.

    "Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity was violated," he said.

    He said that the coalition forces also violated the U.N. charter and rules of engagements, which are very clear for operations.

    Qureshi informed the house that there is an established mechanism for the exchange of information. "But that system was not used. These norms were not used. It is violation of the U.N. charter," he said.

    He said Pakistan, the Afghan National Army and the coalition forces had established the Basic Coordination System (BCC) along the Torkham border point for coordination and that system was also not used.

    He said that there was no known terrorist when the U.S.-led coalition forces attacked the Pakistani area and killed innocent people including women and children.

    Qureshi warned that such actions could endanger Pakistan's cooperation with the coalition forces, adding that Pakistan has set up to 1,000 check posts along its border with Afghanistan to check movement of militants.

    He informed the house that the U.S. ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry Wednesday and a strong condemnation was conveyed to her from the government and the people of Pakistan.

    He said that the government had also asked its embassy in Washington to lodge protest with the U.S. authorities.

    Qureshi said that Pakistan had floated several proposals to the Afghan government for border security but there had been no positive response so far. They include partially fencing of the border and introduction of bio-metric system.