According to the defence ministry submission, not a single civilian died in the 59 strikes conducted in 2012 and 2013, but 319 militants were killed. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's defence ministry said Wednesday US drone strikes in the country's tribal areas have killed 67 civilians since 2008, a surprisingly low figure given previous casualty estimates.
The figure represents three per cent of the total killed in the past five years according to ministry data given in a written answer to a question from the Senate.
The submission said there had been 317 drone strikes in Pakistan since 2008, killing 2,160 militants and 67 civilians.
Critics say the campaign targeting suspected al Qaeda and Taliban militants is counterproductive because it kills civilians and some have even accused Washington of war crimes.
The US defends the campaign as just, legal and accurate, insisting past estimates of civilian casualties in the hundreds are excessive.
Pakistan regularly condemns the attacks as a violation of sovereignty and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif used a trip to Washington last week to press for their end.
According to the defence ministry submission, not a single civilian died in the 59 strikes conducted in 2012 and 2013, but 319 militants were killed.
The areas targeted by drones are off-limits to foreign journalists and aid groups, making it extremely difficult to verify the number and identity of those killed in drone strikes.
The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism puts the total death toll since the campaign began in Pakistan in 2004 at between 2,525 and 3,613.
The Bureau says that between 407 and 926 of those killed were civilians - 16 to 25 per cent of the total, much higher than the new Pakistani government figure would suggest.
UN special rapporteur Ben Emmerson said in a written report this month that Pakistan had told him that 400 of the 2,200 victims of drone attacks over the past decade - 18 percent - were civilians.
Last week Amnesty International highlighted two drone attacks it said appeared to have no legal justification and called on Washington to investigate.
The drone programme, which began under president George W. Bush, accelerated significantly after Barack Obama came to power but has tailed off noticeably in the past year.
COMMENTS (36)
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Keep the drones coming !!
@John the Baptist: "If they are so accurate, why don’t you ask the US to help you eliminate a few “terrorists” in Kashmir? We have an able Army that takes cares of your export. Our Army is not sleeping on the job nor playing golf.
@Ahmed: Please do that favour to us.
@aashish
How about the Indian government let Pakistan carry out air strikes in India where the terrorists are holed up? I mean we will only be killing "terrorists"... no innocent people we swear!!!! Seems only fair to the attitude you have against US strikes on Pakistan
Pakistan is in this situation because they are blind crazy and accept whatever comes out from the Defence. Pack of lies have started falling but the people will still believe them.
This revelation is a bullet on forehead for every Pakistani who claimed that more than thousand civilians were killed. If Pakistan wants to avoid it's innocent people being killed then act against Taliban and likes and stop negotiating or protecting them as assets. But again I am happy to know that no Pakistani bleeding green would want to do that.
This should now silence the big mouths of apologists, doing politics on drones. This means for years they have been campaigning in favour of the terrorists, missguiding the nation, giving the terrorists ideological and geographical support. While at the same time showing no moraal courage to condemn thousands of innoocent cilians killed by the terrorists. This is a matter of shame for a us as a nation. We so easily fall prey to the rhetoric of the apologists duped in the name of religion and jehad.
Wow ! then why not continue the strikes for ever? These drones should be welcome by your govt.
@pakistani: At least read the news before making a comment
The myth of civilian casualties was fabricated by Taliban khan in connivance with the terrorists. Then everyone jumped on this band wagon. This guy is a security risk, and must be tried for playing with the miseries and blood of 50 thousand Pakistanis. And then he has the nerves to call his party "tehreek e insaaf"'. What a sick joke with the victims.
@Waziristani: Shame on you for lying so openly. I bet you are sitting in Nevada commenting on ET while your fellow 'Waziristani' hits the trigger on the drones video game.
@jg: Pakistan should not be raking up the sovereignty issue with US as firstly, it allowed US and even cooperated with them for drone attacks in your country till date. Secondly, Pakistan has no writ over North Waziristan and lastly your military has issued this statement making it clear that drones only kill terrorists which has put the final nail on the drone's coffin, undermining your civilian government's stand. So, just relax and enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea.
What a disgraceful nation we are ... whole world is now getting restless on the killings of OUR innocent civilians and we ourselves are denying that ... we deserve to die ... no doubt !!!!
What does "only 67" mean ? Would the Defence Ministry say "only" if any of their own family members died in this "only" ??? Disgusted !
I can claim that even a single innocent has not been killed by Drones. A civilian casualty occurs when a target terrorist is the guest. In my area, Wana SWA, I personally do not know about a single innocent death occurred in Drone attack. I have never been to North Waziristan but my friends from the area share the same stories. Karim Khan from NW, whose brother and son were killed by drones, was actually hosting commander Muhammad Umar from Waziristan. While targeting Umar, he lost family members.
By God, I literally, I mean literally laughed reading this like I read a great joke. You serious Paki ?
@Ahmed: the terrorist that hide in our homeland attack others everyday........
@Ahmed:
just like pakistan sends terrorists in india and violate the sovereignty , US can also violate pakistan's sovereignty by drones.
@gp65:
If they are so accurate, why don't you ask the US to help you eliminate a few "terrorists" in Kashmir?
@gp65:
Do you have any objectivity and/or analytic prowess left or has it all been sacrificed at the altar of jingoism? How is it possible that over two years, drones killed 319 militants and not a SINGLE innocent person????
@gp65:
Do you have any objectivity and/or analytic prowess left or has it all been sacrificed at the altar of jingoism? How is it possible that over two years, drones killed 319 militants and not a SINGLE innocent person???
@gp65:
Do you have any objectivity and/or analytic prowess left or has it all been sacrificed at the altar of jingoism? How is it possible that over two years, drones killed 319 militants and not a SINGLE innocent person?
@Ahmed:
Suggest you look up the definition of "sovereign". Seems to me the Taliban control the territory where drones operate - even your elected leaders can't/don't visit.
The lower estimate are probably more true. The drone attacks are devastating the terrorist network. That is where the real hurt lies among pro-Taliban supporters, not so much their consideration for innocent lives, whom Taliban and Al-Qaeda love to massacre on their own.
Whether they kill terrorists or not the USA have no right to carry out attacks in a sovereign nation like ours!! today its the KPK tomorrow they're gonna take down targets in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad or any other major city and use the pretext of terrorists!!! Come one people this is your homeland which is being attacked every day!!
"Only" Horrible choice of words. Just plain horrible. Horrible horrible horrible.
@gp65: read PM demand.stop it because it is violation of sovereignity, not that it is killing innocent. truth is out, it is targeting more terrorists.
Total confusion, is pakistan justify drone strike or against it ! Ridding boats with legs on two boats.
The question is whether just ONE innocent death is justified to do such attacks or must their die a few thousands of innocents before anything is declared as WRONG ?
Who needs enemies when we got institution like this "ministry" ruling over us.
Who needs enemies when we got institutions like this 'Defence Ministry' ruling over us.
ETBLOGS1987
"According to the defence ministry submission, not a single civilian died in the 59 strikes conducted in 2012 and 2013, but 319 militants were killed."
Well if this is the case then, why is Pakistan requesting US to stop drones? It wants to protect the miltants?
LOL....military clearly wants to keep drone strikes as an option but civilian govt and FO don't like them.
"not a single civilian died in the 59 strikes conducted in 2012 and 2013" Pack of lies. Just yesterday a drone victim family had a hearing at US Congress and the elderly lady was killed in '2012'. This fact alone is enough to expose credibility of this report. BTW ain't it surprising that this sudden shift in official figures comes soon after Nawaz Sharif's visit to Washington (while same officials gave much higher civilian casualties figures previously)? Connect the dots & know the origin of this 'Made in Pakistan' report - Washington.
only 67? so it means 1 US civilian = 100 pakistani civilian. that is why they have used only with 67 lives