Pakistan commanders in Afghan border can now return fire if attacked

---

LAHORE, Dec 2 (agencies): Pakistan's commanders in the wild Afghan border region can return fire if attacked without waiting for permission, the army chief said, a change in rules of engagement that could stoke tension after Saturday's NATO strike killed 24 Pakistani troops. The attack sparked fury in Pakistan and further complicated U.S.-led efforts to ease a crisis in relations with Islamabad, still seething at a secret U.S. raid in May which killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and stabilize the region before foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan in 2014. "I do not want there to be any doubt in the minds of any commander at any level about the rules of engagement," Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani said in a communique Friday. "In case of any attack, you have complete liberty to respond forcefully using all available resources. You do not need any permission for this." A military source explained that this amounted to a change in the rules for Pakistani forces guarding the Western border against militant movements to and from Afghanistan. "In the past, we were only guarding ourselves or reacting against militants," said the source, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. "We have given our posts some more space to respond. If they are under attack, they should not wait for orders from above on whether to return fire or not." In a statement on its public relations website, Pakistan's military said that its response to the NATO strike was hampered by an inability to scramble its aircraft in time. "The response could have been more effective if PAF (Pakistan Air Force) had also joined in. However, it was no fault of PAF," the statement said.