Pakistan to take up U.S. drone strikes in UN
Xinhua
November 24, 2011
Pakistan has decided to take up the issue of strikes by the CIA-run unmanned aircraft in the country’s tribal regions, which the government, rights groups and tribesmen said killed innocent people, reported local TV channel Dawn on Thursday.
The U.S. drones routinely fire missiles into Pakistani tribal regions which the American officials have claimed to be bases for the militants who launch cross-border attacks into Afghanistan.
Pakistan repeatedly asks the Unites States to stop drone strikes but Americans have ruled out any change in the policy. The issue of drone attacks is one of the irritants in the bilateral relationship.
After the U.S. refusal to halt the strikes, Pakistan has decided to approach the UN to seek its help to stop these attacks, which Pakistan insists is counter-productive in the war on terror.
Dawn reported Pakistani government has started collecting data about the U.S. drone attacks and casualties.
The government has directed the administrative officials in the tribal regions to provide details about the strikes to vigorously pursue the case.
Pakistan is discussing its new strategy to be adopted in the UN, the report said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-11/24/c_122332575.htm
