Other opposition MPs advise govt to avoid confrontation with US. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Opposition lawmakers have said that the government should shoot down remotely piloted aircraft if the United States continues to violate Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Dr Shireen Mazari of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that “the government, as a last resort, should target drones — as we’re capable of [shooting down these pilotless aircraft].”
“It’s a defining movement for the government to convey a louder message to the United States that drones are counterproductive and not acceptable to us,” she added.
Jamat-e-Islami MNA Tariqullah endorsed Dr Mazari’s views. “We should shoot down drones. We’re capable of doing this,” he said, recalling that a top military official once said that the military has the capability to shoot down drones, if the government orders so.
However, lawmakers from all political parties advised the government to avoid confrontation with the US and pursue the proposed peace plan with the Taliban.
Pakistan Protection Ordinance
The Pakistan Protection Ordinance could not be tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday and is now likely to be tabled on Thursday. Under the ordinance, law-enforcers will be able to enter and search any premises without warrants and the detained suspects will not be entitled to bail.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (32)
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If IK had won the election, Taliban would be in control of the nukes, and im sure India, Afghanistan, China and US would be facing consequences. And the biggest consequence would be face by PAKISTAN. Thank you for not voting For IK. Please try and refrain from doing so in KPK next time.
@Usman Aziz: True. We are just boasters and hypocrites.And shooting down the drones is a very risky suggestion.
Shooting down a drone would be the stupidest thing Pakistan could do!...40 thousand of your citizens murdered and you want to attack the one thing that is stopping the murderers?...if you think people are laughing at your foolishness now then shoot a drone and become recognized as the most ignorant people on the planet...your religio/political leaders are leading you into disaster...
I bet half of the people commenting here are themselves ex-Pakistanis sitting either in USA or Canada. These are nothing but our 5th column. It is about time we aim our submarines launched nuclear missiles at New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston . Im very sure America wouldn't want to loose these cities...
Some centuries ago Imran/Munawwer Khawarzem Shah of Khawarzemian Empire shot down three drones( ambassadors) of Gengiz Khan of Mongolia (America) and as a consequence what the world saw; complete annihilation of their empire, barbaric destruction of their cities, rampant rape of the Muslim women and the massacres of Muslim at a scale which the world never saw before and after and all this culminated in the sack of Bagdad with the Muslim Caliph strangled to death. Nawaz should hand over the reigns of the government to the duo if he cannot shoot down the drones.
Go ahead and shoot down the drones because they kill your tribal brothers. Go ahead and stop the NATO supply lines. Go ahead and kill your girls because they want to study. Go ahead and jail the doctor who helped to nab Osama. Go ahead and act like a country of jokers and idiots with who have nothing to show but a few nuclear bombs.
Yes go ahead, shot down drones. As we are proudly capable of it. But please also ask a question from yourself that are we capable for handling what happens after that? Remember armies don't fight on "jazba". Army of a country need a strong economy and unity of a nation as its support. We don't have either. Our society is fractured in sectarianism and ethnic fragments. Economy is at rock bottom. It's about time we stop living in a "la la land" and face the ground reality. We can't afford a military confrontation with Afghanistan let alone USA. If we build a society where justice is for everyone, the writ of government is everywhere and is the final authority and every segment of Pakistani society get there share in economic prosperity, I sware this drone campaign will die its on death and so will the religious extremists and fundamentalists.
@liaqat ali: Please also remember that these acts were not before 2004, and no such activities were happening in Pakistan history, this situation only occurred when there relatives i.e. mothers, sisters, brothers died and one must know the pain of losing loved ones, the tribal areas are part of Pakistan and it is the responsibility of state to protect its citizens from any hostile acts from within and outside
PTI and JI playing politics with the lives of the people of Fata - they're readily accepting US aid on one hand and asking for more funds from the West and then saying that Pakistan should declare war on the US.
once again u turn for Imran Khan...trying to divert the attention of public towards shooting down drone instead of stopping NATO supply route...
@Fahad: when did India attack Pakistan? please tell me i am curious.
People don't realize that when we will shoot down a drone, it will be considered an act of war by USA. Consequently, they will send their long range bombers and F22s and our airdefence will be destroyed within minutes.
There is no need to shoot them down, but instead bring the unmanned noisy beasts down with the help of the computer hackers!
Rex Minor
Shooting down the drones is the easiest part but it may lead to catastrophic consequences including twenty hours load shedding, sanctions on exports , closure of industrial units etc. This 'brave and proud nation' should also be prepared for consequences of this action.
@fz: You mean to protect brothers who have killed thousands, broke jailed and attached Pakistan army assests. Com on. Be sane.
you cannot confront USA.. even Iran has learnt the lesson, these JI and PTI hawks wants us to turn into Afghanistan.
No other country in the world is so afraid as Pakistan. We are even scared to shoot down an American machine without any man in it. Tomorow if America launches a missile towards us, we will be reluctant to shoot that down as well, even if he had the capacity.
It is really disturbing that people still not ready to realize the facts, why can't we first remove the cause of these drone attacks at firts and get control of these areas then there will be no excuse left, we are corrupt but not ready to rectify we are borrowing from america but not thankful to it.....
Even if government gives Green signal, Army won't do it because all the secret deals with US are done by Army not government
mr Khan Gul PTI has already decided to block nato supply and has given the deadline of 20th november to federal govt to decide on drone issue.
Yes this will bring back some of the pride and prestige which our armed forces have lost, so will our government. In retaliation we should be bracing our self for some sort of restrictions and embargo from the US and the allies. But we should not forget that we proceeded with the nuclear program albeit the restrictions imposed by the west. Self belief and self respect are more important than aid and support. No nation rises if if loses its self esteem, and we are loosing it fast.
yes shoot it down, do not give importance to dollars on our tribal brothers blood.
This is the only way.
shooting down a drone is highly unlikely, i think Pakistan can block NATO supply route for a week or so, that's the best they can do.
Our Governament does not have the courage to do so.
We urge you to block NATO supplies in K.Pk first