Such strikes set dangerous precedents in the inter-state relations: MoFA PHOTO: AFP/FILE
After a US drone strike in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) killed five people early on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) issued a statement on Thursday condemning the attack.
“The government strongly condemns the US drone strike...these strikes are a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the release stated.
There is across the board consensus that the strikes need to end, the release added and went on to mention that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the issue with President Obama during his recent visit to America.
“Such strikes also set dangerous precedents in the inter-state relations,” the government asserted in the press release, adding that drone strikes are counter-productive as “they entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications.”
'Dual Policy'
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan had placed responsibility for the drone strike on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a press conference in Islamabad, Express News reported.
Imran questioned why Nawaz has not made a statement on the recent drone strike yet, saying that as the leader of the country he should have been the first to speak up.
He also told Nawaz not to “play on both sides of the wicket,” adding that he should give up his “dual policy” of telling the US one thing and Pakistan another.
Haqqani Network
A drone fired four missiles at a madrassa in Hangu, killing five people and injuring three others on Thursday morning.
Express News reported that the missiles were fired at Islami Madrassa Muktaba Darul Uloom in Tal area of Hangu.
Local security officials identified two of the dead as Mufti Ahmad Jan, the Haqqani network’s spiritual leader and Mufti Hameedullah, also a member of the network.
Several senior Haqqani sources confirmed Jan's death.
COMMENTS (43)
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@Pk_Paris: Foreign ministry daily work subroutine ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To break out of the routine the FO has decided to become proactive and issue denials before the event. Aldso launch a newspaper " Denial Tmes" with the motto Tomorrow' s Denials Today.
@piddler: HAHAHAHA "raid the drone base in Afghanistan"!!! LOL! How about the army checking out the large security compounds and guarded estates BESIDE OR NEAR ARMY BASES where senior TTP/Al-Qaeda leaders have been found living for years???
@Last Word: Furthermore, all drone flights are authorised by Pakistan army in order to avoid being shot at.. They are spy planes, armed with missiles but are not equiped to avoid an accident if other civilian or combat planes are in the vicinity.
Rex Minor
Drones are good to eliminate terrorists there. Pak fauj cannot control or trying to eliminate them. These terrorists are violating your sovereignty too for heaven sake. Rab rakha
@Assad: A good but a partial analysis. First of all, why does Pakistan need friends like Haqqanis or Taliban in Afghanistan? Why Pakistan army keep harping on strategic depth in Afghanistan?Would Pakistani people like to be ruled by a group like Taliban? If not, why do you think they are good for Afghans? Answer to some of these questions is that Pakistan fear the increasing influence of India in Afghanistan. Also Pakistan Government and Army is till in late 80s mode where they think the Taliban mindset is now limited to Afghanistan. Things have changed now. That Taliban mindset has already crept in Pakistan and their actions can be seen .They are not limited to Afghanistan now.So I think there are no more options for Pakistan, not that balancing game option by the way. If Pakistan continue on the current path, things may not turn very well for ordinary Pakistani.
Really now . if this pak army had any selfrespect it should raid the drone base in Afghanistan and bring those phillipino service crew for KP. Or the army could self district gracefully.
If the US keeps insulting Pakistan like this. We will all grow a beard like Taliban and develops the H for horrible bombs
More people died in balovhistan but no one cares for us as we are not considerd pakistanis or even humans.
ETBLOGS1987
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: The facts are that only that part of madarsa was targeted which had 3 Afghan visitors and also the Mufti who is the spiritual leader of Haqqanis. The kids studying in madrasa are safe. If you think that Pakistan has the sovereign right to provide safe haven to those who harm other countries, you are wrong. You got away with harming India for years with your non-state actors starting 1989 and this made you think you can do this with US also.
Secondly, you talk about belt tightening, the obvious area would be your military. After all has India made any attempt to snatch territory from Bangladesh which neither has such a large army nor does it have nuclear capability? No. But if you want to punch above your weight class by taking free arms from US and on top of that also provide safe haven to people who harm that very country - who is at fault - US or your unreasonable expectations?
It is evident that several statements made by NS, Naseer and Tariq pertaining to drones were not factual but only for public consumption. The fact of the matter is that US had neither made any statement regarding stopping or halting drone attacks nor endorsed recent statements made regarding the same by Pak top leaders. On the contrary, Obama recently in an interview reiterated that US would continue to target any high value target found in Pakistan or elsewhere and in a veiled warning to Pakistan stated that it should neither provide sanctuary to the enemies of collation forces nor allow its territory to be used for the same. So, it is crystal clear that both sides have maintained status quo in their respective stand, and drone attacks would continue since Pakistan refuses to climb down from its policy of assisting its strategic assets as well as allowing use of its territory against foreign and Afghan forces in Afghanistan.
I dont understand the mentality of pakistanis... On one hand they condemn drones which are killing terrorists with minimum damage... and they want to be free from terror also...
They are themselves incapable of doing anything..and keep on criticising the US which is actually able to control the problem! Duplicity never solved anything.
Tut Tut! One day when the chicken comes home to roost...and when it will be too late... you may screaming from the rooftops but nobody is going to hear...
@Assad: Your narrative is neither called for nor accurate in judgemednt.and most of all there is no need for explaining the anatomous structure of Pakistan. Pakistan must look for its own Natoional interests and KPK must look for their own peoples interestsand including Madrassas which the yanks call schools.. You are not dealing with the 350 million Americans who are as diversified and divisive as thd people of any large country as Pakistan or India for that matter. You are dealing with the current American administration which is edtremely under pressure for loosing its hegemonic role in the world, more so in Europe than in Asia and n favour of their rival China. And there are a very strong lobbyists in the USA who are not ready to be pushed into the role of a flunky. Hence show your power against the weakests to regain thed lost title. Tough luck, wed have witnessed the fall of the Romans and the Bezantines and others. Amrica has flourished long; Nunc potens minus Est.
Rex Minor
Ya Allah, this is getting funnier day by day. Stories to tell our children.
HAHAHA PTI chairman Imran Kahn "places responsibility for drone strike on prime minister"!! BTW, has Imran Kahn EVER placed "responsibility" for slaughter of tens of thousands of Pakistanis on the TTP (our brothers?)!!!
Hangu drone strike was for Imran Khan with love.
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: So you really believe that Pakistan has the sovereign right to provide sanctuary to terrorist? I suspect many would consider providing a safe haven to terrorist who use your territory as home base to attack you neighbors and allies an act of war.
Nationa Power of Pakistans military: "We condem Drone stikes" National bird of Pakistan: Drone
A general observation. Why do we live in this fantasy world where the "US is here to help"? They have their interests to take care of. Their interest is to stop the flow of Haqqani and Taliban fighters from coming into Afghanistan which they are trying to stabilize. For as long as that will happen, just like during the Vietnam war where they attacked NVA sanctuaries in Cambodia, they will continue to do the same in FATA and even beyond. If Pakistan can muster the muscle to stop them, then do it. What is very clear is that 3 successive governments have not been able to for a multitude of reasons and even after 10+ years of this going on, our clueless awaam still harps on "US is not here to help". Perhaps our awaam should read more to understand how superpower politics work. The idiotic talk shows in Pakistan are certainly not helping increase this awareness.
We need to figure out where our interests converge with them and where they don't. Its just that simple along with a reality that if our interests diverge at a cost to the Americans (meaning our interests are at their cost), then they will react. At that time, we either geo-politically, economically or militarily need to be ready to take on the Americans. If we cannot, then we will continue to be subjected to these attacks for as long as the Haqqani and TTP network continues to operate out of FATA.
Pakistan's calculations are that in order to balance things out in Afghanistan and not have that country antagonistic towards us, some elements have to be supported so we have some friends left. Well this is the balancing game that we have to play. Take hits through drones to internally stability to have a somewhat nuetral/friendly Afghanistan. At the end of the day, the clueless awaam needs to decide what makes more sense of Pakistan. The choices are, dry up all support to the Taliban and make friends with Karzai and all of the stuff that comes with it. At that point, Pakistan becomes fully converged with US interests. Alternately, we continue with the current path. That has a cost that we all see on a daily basis. These are the two choices. There is no third choice of telling the Americans to "stop!" as IK suggests. They won't unless you have some punitive measures in place against the Americans.
So this situation is a straight forward one but our people choose to live in a fantasy world where America would do things for Pakistan out of love. Not sure how an entire nation could have such a childish and myopic world view of the actions of the one and only super power around and operating in the region. People blamed Musharraf for his stance which came about as a result of these very same limitations that Pakistan finds itself in. I do not see any of these "uber democrats" doing any better when it comes to the American stance because the choices are very limited.
Does IK think that Americans will simply walk away if we tell them "Stop!"? Why would they for as long as their multi-billion dollar venture in Afghanistan continues to get impacted by people from the tribal areas?
@Khan: Stop blaming the Pakistan army or the Pakistan Government. KPK is caught between the karachiwalas and thed Delhiwalas, pakistan army has taken up the role of the Inglez's living in the luxarious cantonments and garrison towns left from the colonial times. By ignoring Bacha Khan and taking the great Muhajar of the 20th cedntury with his entourage of several millions there can be no going back. People around the world are still not aware of the meanings of the Hindukush mountains?
Rex Minor
In November two years ago the US bombed and killed 34 soldiers and the paki faujj took that . It will bear this loss too. There generals may be crore commanders but their net worth is still 50 $./mother
Terrorists are drones too. Except they kill primarily innocent people. The people and elected government of Afghanistan are tired of war. Leave them alone and there would be no need for drones. Why were there so many Haqqani Commanders in KPK? Why was one living in peace and tranquility in Islamabad?
You people are making mockery of your country Pakistan around the world, no body believes you and your stupid statements, now Pakistan is being called a banana republic, the leadership is more concerned with their assets and investments in the US and Europe than protecting the sovereignty of the nation despite the fact the most Pakistanis take such a pride that they had the capability to develop nuclear technology to deter the neighbors. Some time a nation has to live with in their bounds and stop begging the others for hand outs, it will only take sincere, honest and determined leadership which Pakistan lacks at present. After 66 years one would think statistically that Pakistan will get that kind of leadership but some how it just by pass the Pakistanis, it seems it is in our genes to be so selfish and corrupt to the core. May God help Pakistan and this unfortunate nation.
Looks like the DRONE is the new national bird of Pak.
The most important responsibility of the State, the Government and the Army is to protect all its citizens. In Pakistan, the Government, its Army and the Political Parties are handing over the citizens to the terrorist talibans.
IMRAN KHAN u r also playing dual game n dirty politics like Nawaz. I gave my vote to u but u disappointed me. You have promised to end the NATO SUPPLY on 20/11/2013 or leave the KPK government and now a day has passed its 21/11/2013 today. You are no more in my good list and are just like other politicians so that you have declared DHARNA instead of STOPING NATO SUPPLY.. What a Dramebazi
Pmnl r all talk totally complicit that is y they won't take the issue to the UN, actions speak louder than words
I also condemn USA for not carrying more attacks.
The fake and propaganda war on terror; capitalists US exploiting the poorest and slave mined Pakistani nation. These attacks are in fully cooperation of Pakistan security establishment and Pakistan has back tracked with US again. These drones flying from Pakistan Airbases and Killing Pakistan innocent people. Further It’s the war specifically against Pashtuns to extinction therefore the Federal Govt. and security establishment is practically silent . Being silent and secret support and providing intelligence is worst violation against the constitutional rights and protection of these innocent people. US terrorism is the worst form of terrorism against humanity in the entire global history from Vietnamese to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and present Middle East and FATA & KP. while just condemning by the Govt. without any practical and honest efforts is the double standers of Govt. and establishment. In FATA and KP the lack of honest and dedicate leadership has down fall of Pashtuns and Pakistan. The Govt. with the establishment must practically and honestly react against such US terrorism against humanity. Else the nation needs its self to get stand firm against.
Pakistani Govt and military has become a laughing stock..........every time they make a statement US strike with terror to prove that Pakistani statement is as much irrelevant as they are as a nation.
It is time that Nawaz Sharif act now and show leadership which is required in the 21st century, setting up commisions of enquiries on National issues whih must be decided upon by the central Government. Empty protests will not help!!
Rex Minor
Pakistan is a joke now. There is no such thing as sovereignty. Next time they should drone islamabad.
In other words, please keep droning and just ignore our condemning. You do your thing while we do, our.
Another turn of the Drone->Condemn cycle
Without knowing that the people killed were really murderers, commentators on this site and other, are celebrating these deaths.The Government is bending over backwards by also claiming that only 67 civilians died in the last so many years.
Foreign ministry daily work subroutine 1. Check for any comments by India about terrorist activities if yes press button to release denial statement 2. Check for drone attack, if yes press button to release strong protest, condemn statement
I was hoping GOP would thank us for taking out terrorists on Pak soil. Too bad Pak army cannot establish writ of state in that area.
First Sartaj Aziz said to John Kerry in a video statement " Such strikes set dangerous precedents in inter-state relations,” Right after making that statement Mr Aziz winked at John Kerry.
John Kerry responded" This was the last strike, Never again till you talk to Taliban" after making that statement he also winked at Mr Aziz. After sharing the winks they both laughed their heads off.
"Condemns" !!!! when you look for a bakra for Eid , you generally ask the seller two questions ... one is about teeth and the other relates to this condemnation by Pakistanis !!!!
ET hails US drone strike in Hangu
Where is the Leader of opposition and Minister of Inaction Ch. Nisar? Would he care now to come out and do a press conference? Would Nawaz ever go to the National Assembly to deliver a speech?
Wow... this Lion just meows.
After admitting of having problem within Pakistan during a press conference with president Obama, what did PM do since then? Nothing. When you can not do for something you yourself admitted and others who are at the receiving end of this menace eliminate these extremists elements you start veiling and protesting. That is why people all around the world do not take you seriously and consider you irresponsible and duplicitous. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/11/21/news/national/us-drones-again-kills-six-in-kp/#sthash.bLYsURmw.dpuf