Gilani calls for transfer of US drone technology
Prime Minister says drone strikes increasing problems for Pakistan, country should use drones to take out targets.
MULTAN:
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said drone strikes were increasing problems for the government and it was trying to convince the United States (US) to hand over the technology to Pakistan.
Speaking to the media in Multan, the prime minister said that drone strikes were counterproductive and that the country needed the technology to take out the targets itself. He said that militant strongholds had been dismantled and the militants were now going for ‘soft targets’.
Documents released by Wikileaks on December 1 revealed that Gilani had allowed drone strikes in the tribal areas, saying they would protest the attacks in the National Assembly and then ignore them. When Interior Minister Rehman Malik advised the US to hold off “alleged Predator attacks until after the Bajaur operation”, Gilani brushed off the remarks saying:
The statements were reportedly made during meetings with unnamed US officials in August 2008.
Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said drone strikes were increasing problems for the government and it was trying to convince the United States (US) to hand over the technology to Pakistan.
Speaking to the media in Multan, the prime minister said that drone strikes were counterproductive and that the country needed the technology to take out the targets itself. He said that militant strongholds had been dismantled and the militants were now going for ‘soft targets’.
Documents released by Wikileaks on December 1 revealed that Gilani had allowed drone strikes in the tribal areas, saying they would protest the attacks in the National Assembly and then ignore them. When Interior Minister Rehman Malik advised the US to hold off “alleged Predator attacks until after the Bajaur operation”, Gilani brushed off the remarks saying:
“I don’t care if they do it as long as they get the right people. We’ll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it.”
The statements were reportedly made during meetings with unnamed US officials in August 2008.