The covert strikes are publicly criticised by the Pakistani government as a violation of sovereignty but American officials believe they are a vital weapon in the war against militants. PHOTO: AFP
A drone fired two missile on a compound in the Mangroti village of Tehsil Shawal of North Wazirstan Agency. The compound was reportedly destroyed in the attack.
Earlier a drone strike on May 29, killed the number two of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Waliur Rehman, in the North Waziristan region.
The covert strikes are publicly criticised by the Pakistani government as a violation of sovereignty but American officials believe they are a vital weapon in the war against militants.
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Drone strikes is one more example of American double standards and self-serving agenda. All the talk of human rights and democracy is just a tactic used to exploit the weaknesses and divisions in weaker nations for America's own ends. The futility of international laws in checking her is quite evident here as was in March 2003. Convoluted legal constructs have no place in international laws, but may be those laws are just for the Africans, not for the educated champion of human rights.
@Mirza who: How many of the 'top brass' of TTP are killed by Pak Army and PAF? The not-so-toy jets of PAF are causing more collateral damage than the toy drones.
@Mirza who: have these drones ever killed any known high profile,,,,,,my dear high profile arnt living in wazirstan they live in abbotabad or islamabad.
@aftab not salute a payar bhara salaam
@Mirza who: "Can you just answer a simple question: how many terrorists do these drones kill, and have these drones ever killed any known high-profile terorrists?"
Baitullah Mehsud, Mullah Nazir, Wali Ur Rehman? These are not high profile enough for you -eh?
BTW even though Pakistan government took credit for it at that time, it is now widely known that Nek Mohammed was also killed by a drone in 2004 at Pakistan government's request.
Shame on this new government as they have strongly condemned these attacks while running their campaigns and its the second attack on the sovereignty of this country. I think both PM and KP government should resign on this issue.
American drones are doing what pakistan army and para military forces should be doing. Keep it up Americans. We really do not know what to say and what to do in this case.
Hello NS and IK. Perhaps this was a Drone Salute from USA in recognizing our new leaderships.
And here we go again, our leaders will keep on demanding and protest at all cost but drones will not stop. How much we will fool ourselves with these political statements.
@S.R.H. Hashmi.
Sounds great - so what exactly are you proposing? Nukes don't seem to intimate anyone - hasn't cowed the Taliban and certainly won't intimate a country that has ICBM's, missile shields and stealth bombers. . Drones are like the weather - everyone likes to talk about it because no one expects you to control it. Terrorism, on the other hand, is a tougher topic because the rest of the World expects you to control it. Get rid of terrorism and your drone issue will solve itself.
@Mirza: I agree with your comments. The strong reaction of TTP and its supporters after a drone strike indicates that a high value target is eliminated. In fact this reaction is a measure of how successful the attack has been in taking out how big a target.
On 7th march in a press conference mian sahib said if elected he will not tolerate drones. Well...he's been elected.....lets see what he does now. Whole of pakistan is watching him. I expect tomorrow he will summon the american ambassador and give him a piece of his mind.
Just yesterday Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif demanded that drone strikes must stop, and today, we had another strike. Looks like the Americans want to ridicule him and President Barack Obama, whose legs, and those of his principal officers, tremble while facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even in his second term, when American Presidents show some strength, wants to get really 'tough' with us, trying to prove that he is the boss, not so much of America where Netanyahu is the real boss, but definitely of Pakistan.
We also hear that Americans are not in a hurry to leave Afghanistan. Perhaps Obama wants to make history by breaking up Pakistan, like the Americans have almost done with Iraq, and are now trying to do in Syria, and for this, it is necessary to maintain the hostility between Taliban on one hand and Pakistani army and civilians on the other, and drone strikes at critical moments help in keeping the enmity alive, by eliminating any chances of reconciliation between the parties.
So, will Nawaz Sharif just keep throwing his hands in despair, and let the Americans destroy Pakistan, the most valuable trophy for him, or pick up some courage and do something like ordering the air force to shoot down drones, for which they have the capability, as told by a former air chief, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed.
Pakistan, strongest militarily and the only nuclear power in the Muslim world must show some courage appropriate to its level. Even Afghan President Hamid Karzai on occasions tells Americans off and restricts their operations.
Karachi
@Imran ,PM Nawaz Shreef should resign with immediate effect because he can not defend his people being killed by drones attacks also this is federal Government job not PTI ,PTI only can protest or block Nato supply!!!
The argument you are using is not even an argument, but an oxymoron full of contradictions. Can you just answer a simple question: how many terrorists do these drones kill, and have these drones ever killed any known high-profile terorrists? Apart from Baitullah and Wali Rehman and a few others who I can count on my fingers, I don't think I have ever heard a member of the top brass of Taliban getting killed by these flying toys. These drones are useless and good for nothing. Even after being conducted for years, not 1% of terrorism has reduced - the opposite has happened.
In short, they are useless and should be downed, if not stopped. Your war-mongering mindset belongs to the middle ages. Please come into the 21st century. In today's times, all nations like to focus on economy and education - not fighting useless wars for other countries. For people like you, I only have one message: Please a take a one-way ticket and leave this country. If you are so fond of wars, go live in another country ravaged by war and preach your war mongering there. Pakistan doesn't need war mongerers like you - we've had enough of you.
@Imran: Yet another good for nothing PML-N troll who doesn't even know that FATA is under federal govt. PML-N should be sued!
@Imran: PMLN should resign...Drone strikes are under their jurisdiction. Read the newspaper or watch the news from time to time.
Thank you Drone for killing these enemies of Pakistan and Islam
Excellent. Keep it up America!
IK i miss u :(
Here they go again. Nuclear armed nation being bombed every other day and the governments at loss on what to do. Another formal complaint or some suitable action from Pakistan side? Few more drones will reduce Mr Sharif's credibility to a very low level.
Thank God the drone strikes are not stopping. To the opponents of drones “get used to it”. There have been hundreds of drone strikes and we continue to say the same thing that some govt of Pakistan or army would stop them. Now the PTI is in KPK and PML-N in center there is still no respite for terrorists! How many more deaths of known terrorists would it take for you to understand that somebody for free is eliminating our worst enemies who have inflicted tens of thousands of deaths on us? Kudos to the US and its commitment not to let the region go into the terrorist’s hands again even after the withdrawal.