Nawaz Sharif to raise US drone issue at UN: Sartaj Aziz

Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, will raise the issue of American drone strikes in its tribal regions at various U.N. forums in the course of the General Assembly session,  Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, has said.

In an interview in New York, Aziz said that such strikes are “counterproductive” as they lead to large numbers of civilian deaths that generate hatred among people.

Pakistan, he said, had conveyed its serious concern to the United States over its drone programme, and called for the cessation of the aerial strikes.

“Drone strikes infringe Pakistan’s sovereignty and violate international law,” Aziz added.

The adviser said that international opinion was also turning in favour of Pakistan’s stand, and hoped that the United States would feel the pressure and end the drone attacks.

Aziz said that Pakistan will also speak about the drone issue during a UN Security Council debate on the Role of Small Arms in Conflict on September 26.

An All Parties Conference (APC), which was recently held in Islamabad,  had recommended raising of the drone issue at the United Nations.

About terrorism, the adviser said Pakistan was combating the menace under a well-defined policy. Pakistan had also initiated moves to promote good relations with its neighbours– Afghanistan and Pakistan. With Afghanistan, some progress has been made, but in the case of India, there has been a setback that he hoped would be overcome.

 The high point of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif week-long visit will be an address to General Assembly on September 27, his first on the world stage.

The prime minister will participate in a number of other high-level events,including meetings on Millennium Development Goals (MGDs), sustainable development and nuclear disarmament.A meeting on education in Pakistan is also scheduled in which Malala Yousafzai will also take part.

He will also meet a number of heads of state/government, including leaders of China, Iran, Tunisia and Japan,on the sidelines of the General Assembly, and discuss various bilateral and regional issues.

The Prime Minister is also expected to meet his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. Final touches to the Prime Minister’s programme are being given.

US Secretary of State John Kerry will call the prime minister on Thursday.

Besides UN-related engagements, the Prime Minister will also address members of the Pakistani community and American businessmen.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Sep 23 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.