Pakistani officials chided Liberal Leader Stephane Dion for suggesting NATO troops should intervene in Pakistan to help curb the flow of terrorists across the border it shares with Afghanistan.
In a statement released by the Pakistan High Commission in Ottawa, the government said it was "dismayed" by the opposition leader's comments, adding that the government is fully capable of handling its own security matters.
"It shows a lack of understanding of the ground realities. We have, at the highest level, made it clear that Pakistan will not allow any foreign forces to operate within its territory under any circumstances," read the statement, released late Thursday.
Dion and Deputy Leader Michael Ignatieff made a brief visit to Afghanistan last week, meeting with President Hamid Karzai. Upon their return, Dion said NATO will never bring peace to Afghanistan so long as the Taliban can escape across the border into Pakistan.
"If they (Pakistani leaders) are not able to do it on their own, it is something we could consider with NATO, how to help Pakistan help us bring peace to Afghanistan,'' Dion said Wednesday during a press conference in Quebec City.
The Pakistani government took issue with the suggestion it had done little to curb the transfer of Islamic militants across the border into neighbouring Afghanistan.
"Pakistan is a peace-loving country and has joined the international community in the war against terrorism as an equal partner. The contribution made by Pakistan in this regard has been recognized throughout the world,'' the statement said.
"The price paid by Pakistan being a frontline state cannot be undermined by certain irrational comments.''
During a press conference in Saskatchewan on Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper took the opportunity to mock Dion for suggesting Canada abandon its combat mission in Afghanistan in favour of a Pakistan invasion.
The Liberals countered saying Dion's comments were "grossly" distorted by the Conservatives and maintained the opposition leader proposed a diplomatic intervention in the South Asian country.
"Mr. Dion obviously did not propose any sort of military intervention. Mr. Dion believes that Canada must focus our diplomatic efforts on Pakistan in order to secure the border with Afghanistan," a statement on Liberal party's website reads.
However, the statement went on to say that Pakistan remains one of the "single biggest factors" in an ongoing struggle for security and stability in Afghanistan as Taliban training centres continue to flourish within Pakistan's borders.
"The location of these centres are known according to Afghan authorities. Canada must not only diplomatically intervene with Pakistan to convince them to take necessary action to shut down these centres and stop the flow of insurgent personnel and equipment across the border, we must also put pressure on our NATO allies to make this issue a priority in their own bilateral dealings with Pakistan," the statement read.
