Pakistan on Wednesday lodged a strong protest against US drone attack in Miranshah, while asserting that the strike violated the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
However, noted defence analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi said that since the US ambassador was not summoned to the Foreign Office for an official protest against the drone strike, the move reflected that the protest was only symbolic and was aimed to satisfy the public sentiments at large.
Tribal sources have claimed that in the early hours of Wednesday an unmanned drone attacked a residential compound and a vehicle in Danday Darpa Khel area of North Waziristan Agency that borders war-stricken Afghanistan. The sources added that the unmanned aircraft fired four missiles thus killing around 18 people.
“The Government of Pakistan strongly condemns the US drone strike that took place in Miranshah, North Waziristan on 3rd July. These strikes are a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pakistan has repeatedly emphasised the importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes,” said a Foreign Office statement.
“Pakistan has repeatedly stressed the importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes,” the statement added.
“The Government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications as well,” the stated further added.
“These drone strikes have a negative impact on the mutual relationship of both the countries to forge a cordial and cooperative relationship and to ensure peace and stability in the region,” said the statement.
STATEMENT FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION ONLY:
Defence expert Hassan Askari while talking to Pakistan Today said that the Foreign Office statement was aimed to satisfy the domestic audience and to set the record straight.
“Such statements are for public consumption. Had the government been serious about the issue, it would have raised the matter at a proper forum with the US,” he said, adding that there was no evidence available whether the advisor to PM on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz took up the matter with the US Secretary of State John Kerry during his recent meeting at Brunei Darussalam.
“The government will have to engage the US administration if it is serious in its efforts to curb drone attacks. But if the matter is raised, Pakistan would have to satisfy the US administration (on the presence of militants) inside Pakistan,” he added.
He said that the new Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government would get a chance to raise the issue with the US administration during the upcoming visit of John Kerry at the end of July when he arrives in Pakistan on an official visit.