ISLAMABAD (Dispatches) -- Amid a diplomatic row between Pakistan and the U.S. over the secret operation that killed al— Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said Washington should not have violated his country’s sovereignty to carry out the raid in Abbottabad, The Hindu reported.

“There was no need to (take) a shortcut or to bypass Pakistan,” Gilani told reporters who accompanied him on an official visit to France.
In view of the long—standing relations with the U.S., Pakistan’s sovereignty should not have been violated, he said.
Reacting to last week’s operation by U.S. special forces inside Pakistani territory, Gilani said the issue of violation of sovereignty was a matter of concern for the country, particularly in view of the cooperation with the U.S. in intelligence and defense.
Bin Laden was killed along with his son, two al—Qaeda couriers and a woman during the pre—dawn raid by U.S. forces on a compound located a short distance from the Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad, 120 kms from the federal capital Islamabad.
Gilani had earlier sought to deflect criticism of his government’s failure to detect bin Laden by describing it as an “intelligence failure of the whole world“.
During the interaction with reporters who accompanied him to France, Gilani said U.S. President Barack Obama had acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution in the war on terrorism and ongoing intelligence-sharing between the two countries.
Gilani said his visit to France had provided him an opportunity to present Pakistan’s point of view and to inform the French leadership about many things.
“There were many misunderstandings and I hope these have been removed,” he said.
Asked about the difference of opinion in various quarters of the government regarding the U.S. military operation against bin Laden, Gilani said he would make a policy statement during in the Senate or upper house of parliament.
Meanwhile, the prime minister warned the United States it will defend its air space if American forces mount another raid on terrorists suspected of hiding inside the country, The Telegraph reported.
Gilani will seek to restore some dignity in an address to the nation after the humiliation caused when American forces killed Osama bin Laden at a compound close to Pakistan's main military academy in Abbottabad last week without alerting Pakistan.
A senior government source close to the prime minister said while Gilani will take an aggressive stand to shore up the government's position.
The source said: ""The Prime Minister will say that the United States should not have bypassed Pakistan. We have made a huge contribution in fighting terrorism. We've arrested close to 100 al-Qaeda people, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
""We'll take appropriate action if any further violation takes place. We will defend our air space by any means we have.""
He will say that Washington's decision to launch the raid without consulting Islamabad had plunged military and political relations between the frosty allies to a new low.
Sources in Gilani's office said the country's air defenses on its Western border will now be upgraded to confront any future U.S. raids from bases in Afghanistan.
The country's Air Chief will establish a committee of inquiry into the air warning failures which allowed American helicopters to fly undetected into the heart of the country's military establishment in Abbottabad.
Gilani is also expected to announce his own inquiry and to consult opposition leaders about the future of Pakistan's relationship with the United States.
The prime minister is under intense pressure from opponents, including his own former foreign minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi who has called on him and President Zardari to resign over the issue.
Gilani's warning will raise the threat of military confrontation between the two after new information discovered at bin Laden's compound was said to disclose the whereabouts of bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri inside Pakistan, potentially leading to another raid.
President Obama's spokesman last week said he continued to reserve America's right to strike at terrorist targets in Pakistan.
The U.S. Navy Seals had taken place just weeks after Pakistan Army Chief General Kiyani had met his U.S. counterpart and agreed to increase military and intelligence co-operation, according to Pakistani government sources. The relationship had already deteriorated after CIA operative Raymond Davis shot dead two motorcycle gunmen in Lahore in January.
""The Army is very much hurt. There was an understanding to continue our co-operation in the war on terrorism and then in the following weeks they did this. It shows how much they trust us. The Americans think they can do whatever they want, but the Pakistan people are full of hate for them,"" the government source said.
The CIA chief Leon Panetta last week said the US had decided not to inform Pakistan of the imminent raid because it feared its plans would be leaked and thwarted.
In a move that will heighten American anxiety over Pakistan's reaction, local media named the CIA's Islamabad station chief, raising suspicions that intelligence officers had leaked it in revenge for the bin Laden operation.