Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani reiterated Sunday that foreign troops would not be allowed to hunt Islamic militants on its soil.
Gilani made the comments amid speculation in Pakistan over the reason for the anannounced visit of the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, to Islamabad on Saturday.
The United States has said it did not approve of Islamabad's negotiations with top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, accused of masterminding the slaying of former premier Benazir Bhutto last year.
Gilani's government launched the talks after defeating allies of President Pervez Musharraf — whose administration played a key role in the US-led "war on terror" — in elections in February.
Washington has warned that Al-Qaeda is rebuilding itself in Pakistan's tribal areas for a possible terrorist attack on US soil, while Kabul has accused Pakistan of backing Taliban insurgents waging a bloody insurgency against international troops in Afghanistan.
Gilani said Pakistan was fully capable of defending itself self from any aggression. "Nobody could dare cast an evil eye on the country's sovereignty and the nation has all the potential to defend itself from foreign aggression."
During a short visit to the northwestern city of Peshawar, Gilani said Mullen's trip was a "routine visit aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the United Sates."
Pakistan and the United States have strong cooperation in the fields of defence, security, education, health and other sectors, he said.
Gilani will visit the United States later this month and is scheduled to meet President George W. Bush on July 28.
Gilani's comments come after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan would not allow itself to be a staging ground for any terrorist attacks, amid reports foreign fighters were heading to the country to join Al-Qaeda militants.
