Islamabad, Sept 18 : Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani yesterday convinced US’ top military man Admiral Mike Mullen that American forces should desist from launching strikes on Pakistan from across Afghan border by saying that the US attacks on the Pakistani areas would only help the Taliban to get the sympathies of the local tribesmen.

“The same tribesmen are now happy with the Pakistan military because it had challenged the US operations,” Gilani told Mullen during his meeting with him during the latter’s hurriedly arranged visit.

“I had told him that the first wish was to respect Pakistan''s sovereignty and the other was to respect Pakistan''s democracy,” The News quoted Gilani as saying while speaking to reporters here last evening.

The Pakistan PM also told Mullen and other US Army generals that US President George Bush had personally made a commitment to respect democracy and the sovereignty of Pakistan and so should the US Army.

Gilani said he had reminded the visiting US admiral on Wednesday that in his closed-door meeting during his recent trip to the US, President Bush had asked him to make two wishes which Bush was ready to accept in front of the media to please his guest from Islamabad.

The Prime Minister also said the recent attacks had come as a surprise to him as the US President himself had publicly said that his country would respect the sovereignty of Pakistan.

Gilani said he had asked the visiting American admiral in clear terms that he should reiterate President Bush''s public commitment and from now onwards, there should be no attacks inside Pakistan.

The timely reference by Gilani turned the meeting around with Mike Mullen agreeing to reiterate his government''s stance that it would respect the sovereignty of Pakistan. (ANI)