Families of Pakistani victims of US drone strikes on Thursday wrote to new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: FILE
The Peshawar High Court had on May 9 declared the CIA drone strikes targeting suspected Taliban and al Qaeda militants to be a "war crime" and ordered Islamabad to take steps to halt them.
Victims' families and their lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akbar have written to Sharif urging him to heed the court's ruling, which calls on the government to take the matter up at the UN Security Council.
While Islamabad regularly issues statements condemning the missile strikes as a violation of sovereignty, it has yet to take any stronger action publicly to pressure Washington to end the campaign, which began in 2004.
"The court has ordered the government of Pakistan and its security forces to administer a proper warning to the United States that future drone strikes will not be tolerated," Akbar wrote in the letter, seen by AFP.
Akbar said that if Pakistan failed to persuade the US to stop the strikes through the United Nations, "the court has very clearly ordered to shoot down the drones".
At a news conference with two relatives of drone victims, Akbar warned that Sharif would face contempt of court proceedings if he did not implement the court order within 14 days.
Mohammad Nazir, whose son was killed in a US drone strike in June 2006 in North Waziristan tribal district, a haven for insurgents, endorsed the demand and said he wanted revenge for his son's death.
"My son was 25 years old, he was a labourer and was working in a house with other labourers in the night when the drone strike took place," he told AFP.
"According to tribal law, you kill the son of that person who kills your son, so I will take revenge of my son's killing whenever I have the opportunity."
According to the British Bureau of Investigative Journalism, since 2004 up to 3,587 people have been killed in Pakistan by drone attacks, which Washington says are an effective weapon in the fight against Islamist militancy.
On Wednesday Sharif used his first speech as prime minister to urge the US to end the strikes and said a comprehensive strategy for tackling extremism should be worked out.
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@Imran Kazmi: the drones should be extended to the major cities of Pakistan, only then will the people wake up, only then will the government decide to take action.
Families of TTP VICTIMS (having slaughtered 30,000 plus Pakistanis and having maimed probably twice that number!!!) should urge Nawaz to unleash the "sixth largest PROFESSIONAL ARMY" in the world to clean out the TTP/Good-Bad Taliban types once an for all, extending the "sovereignty" of Pakistan across the country and ending this scourge! The article likes to quote the "British Bureau of Investigative Journalism's" ESTIMATE of some 3587 killed by Drone Strikes since 2004, BUT somehow neglects to also add the Bureaus stipulation that THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE KILLED BEING MILITANTS!!! (Maybe the authors keyboard ran out of ink?) Other than the Americans, just who is effectively FIGHTING (and terrorizing) the TTP???
Not an insult to the injury, just some truth to the tale.
Its not Muslims or Pakistanis or Pashtuns who are target rather few people and few areas.
Jinnah Pakistan is unique country on the face of earth which accommodate foreign drones on its soil. These drones rain down on Wazirs, Mehsuds, Dawar and Burkis etc.
Waziristan is under drone attacks because Waziristan is the A--S of Pakistan.
Drones Attack on Waziristan will only stop once US also Hit E/F Sectors in Islamabad, Westridge Pindi, Hayatabad /University Town in Peshawar, Greater Mardan/Charsada, Gulberg/DHA in Lahore and Clifton/KDA in Karachi. These are posh and ruling elite areas in various cities in Pakistan
Every crisis have a cost. Some pay the cost and for some it is an opportunity.
We living here Waziristan, Tank and Bannu are paying the cost in terms our blood for US Drone Attacks.
While our agents and contractors on US/West pay roll are paid in US Blood Dollars. These either rule us or live in West.
Even if they come to my land when not ruling us, they will be working in some Western NGO, or MNC or IMF or World Bank while living in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi all colonial era Metropolis cities.
Secondary Roles in Western Empire are already defined for these Macaulay's children. The Macaulay’s children refer to people born of Desi ancestry who adopt western culture as a lifestyle, or display attitudes influenced by West or colonizers.
They will treat here their own desi brothers just like slaves.
Well! they should not give asylum to criminals, aka Talibans, and Qaida. It is plain and simple. Your friends can go around and kill innocents but if there is a drone attack, why do you cry foul?
Out of the question! The drone strikes must continue! Yes there will be collateral. But drones are the only things controlling Taliban. Pakistan Army and state cannot alone wipe out the Taliban, they need help from USA...
Nawaz Sharif and stand up to the USA? Not in a thousand years. He just doesn't have the guts to do it. Period.