Pakistan protests against U.S. drone strike
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 11:23:34 by Tahir Khan
Pakistan has strongly condemned the U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan tribal region, which local media says has killed 17 people, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
Reports said that American spy aircraft fired missiles on a house and a vehicle early Wednesday in the Danda Derpa Khel area near Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan.
“These strikes are a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Pakistan has repeatedly emphasized the importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement.
“The Government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications,” he said.
The spokesman said the U.S drone strikes have a negative impact on the mutual desire of both countries to forge a cordial and cooperative relationship and to ensure peace and stability in the region.
Security sources said that the unmanned US aircraft targeted Afghan militants hiding in the compound.
Section of the local media said that a commander of the Haqqani group, Sher Khan, was among those killed in the strike. There was no confirmation by the officials and the militants.
Reports said that the U.S. drones fired four missiles on the house and a vehicle. Two missiles hit the house while the other two hit the vehicle, reports said.
The drone attack was the biggest and second since Nawaz Sharif took over as Pakistan’s prime minister following the May 11 elections. Seven people were killed in the last drone strike in the North Waziristan tribal area on June 8.
In a previous drone attack on May 30, Deputy Chief of Pakistani Taliban, Wali-ur-Rehman Mehsud was killed near Miranshah.
The US routinely fired missiles into the Pakistani tribal regions on the plea that the militants use the area for planning attacks across the border into Afghanistan.
Tags: Danda Derpa Khel, Haqqani Netowrk, miranshah, North Waziristan, Pakistan-US protest, US drones, Wali-ur-RehmanShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=40781
Posted by Tahir Khan
on Jul 3 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan.
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Semiautonomous Taliban regions and Pakistan sovereignty cannot coexist. Either the country reigns in on its militants, or affected outsiders will continue to do so.
Besides, with the Taliban weakened Pakistan can bring central government to more of its lands. Otherwise, the semiautonomous regions will overrun neighboring towns — one after another.
Has Pakistan forgotten that the Taliban did just that three years ago?
Or that that they have been doing no different in Afghanistan for decades?
The Taliban is the hydra of both countries and both countries need technology and help to cut the hydra heads off.