K-P ministers and MPAs from the ruling coalition marched to the US Consulate in Peshawar and presented a memorandum against drone attacks to a consulate official. PHOTO: PPI
PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD:
A top police official in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa directed law enforcement personnel on Monday to initiate legal action following the lodging of an FIR against the Hangu drone strike in which provincial authorities also want the United States and the CIA to be included.
Inspector General of Police Nasir Durrani issued directives in the wake of an application filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s central legal affairs Barrister Suleman Afridi, who is party to the issue.
In the application submitted by PTI, Afridi also submitted the Foreign Office statement, Washington Post’s story on drone strikes and the May 9 verdict of the Peshawar High Court in which the strikes were declared illegal. Afridi told Express News that PTI could go to any length in order to halt the barrage of assaults on the country’s integrity.
The provincial police chief called for immediate action on the application and instructed the investigation officers to open legal proceedings as well as question the parties to the application.
At the same time, K-P ministers and MPAs from the ruling coalition marched to the US Consulate in Peshawar and presented a memorandum against drone attacks to a consulate official.
The Hangu drone strike on November 21 was an open violation of the country’s sovereignty and its integrity as this was the first strike in settled areas, claimed the FIR that was earlier registered against unidentified persons. But the PTI’s central leadership sent an application to the K-P IGP clearly mentioning that the drone strike was conducted on the CIA and US’s wish, which is why the FIR should be registered against Washington and its top spy agency, and action should be taken against them under Section 121 (conspiracy to commit offence) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Memorandum handed to US mission
Legislators led by K-P Finance Minister for Sirajul Haq, Information Minister Shah Farman and Agriculture Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai presented to the US Consulate a document on their demand to end drone strikes in Pakistan.
“The people of K-P and their government condemn drone strikes as indisputably unlawful…therefore the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan should convey to the government and people of the United States and its allies, directly and through the United Nations Security Council, that drone strikes must stop.
As a sovereign state, Pakistan shall exercise all options available to it when its people and territory are victims of external aggression,” read the memorandum presented by representatives of the K-P government to the US Consulate.
“A protest will also be held outside the Parliament House, the Prime Minister House, as well as UN offices in Islamabad,” stated Haq.
Saying ‘no’ to Nato goods
Truck drivers will not carry any Nato supplies as long as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest continues, said All Pakistan Transporters Owners Association on Monday. Truck drivers had been informed they would be personally responsible for the damage as both vehicles and goods could both be affected in such situations.
‘Policing the containers’
Containers carrying Nato supplies to Afghanistan refrained from entering Peshawar as the coalition partners of the K-P government continued to block their routes for the third consecutive day. PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) activists stopped and checked dozens of containers to make sure they were not Nato containers
Members of these parties continued checking the containers even though a few got into trouble earlier for it. The Pishtakhara police registered an FIR against unidentified PTI workers for blocking the road and going through Afghanistan-bound containers at Ring Road late Sunday night.
PPP’s adjournment motion
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the largest opposition party in the Senate, submitted an adjournment motion in the upper house on Monday, seeking debate on the recent fatal drone strike in Hangu. The adjournment motion was submitted by PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, who argued that the issue is crucial and needs to be discussed immediately. He sought to suspend the agenda of the day and discuss the drone attack by the US on Thal, Hangu.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2013.
COMMENTS (8)
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You cant nominate a company or country for a crime. I wish PTI and JI knew this simple thing. They are fooling people and be-fooling themselves. Politics is not cricket.
Pakistan after another 20 years will have added another about 4.5 crore to its population. This population will have scarce food, no education, an unsecured and highly criminalised environment, no growth opportunities and on top of that no relations with any other country. Pakistan needs no enemies.
Imran Khan has named the US in the FIR. Hope they don't put Uncle Sam in jail !
If Pakistan has the right to defend it self when attacked, then further attacks should be met with force. The drones must be shot down. Our lobbyists in the US must be asked to raise awareness of the American people about what their administration is doing in their name.
Just wondering...have they ever put forth an FIR of any kind against any previous terrorist attack in Hangu of which there are many, or named any local or foreign militant such as the Haqqanis or Mehsuds?
Obama should be added as no drone attks are done without his consent. Anyhow, still a good job to lodge FIR against these war mongers who have destroyed our country yet people are still defending them. Even American citizens are fighting for our right and Independence and are against drone.
Good. Well done PTI.