Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif Wednesday met US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale to discuss the recent drone attack in Balochistan’s Nushki.
The drone attack that allegedly killed Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was the first-ever in the province which has long been a ‘red line’ for Pakistan.
Raheel Sharif stated that the drone attack violated Pakistan’s sovereignty and territory. He added that the drone strike was detrimental to Pak-US ties and is counter-productive to the ongoing peace process for regional stability, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.
Read more: Pakistan warns US against ‘cloak-and-dagger’ policy
While the government has long condemned drone strikes, terming them a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty, it had already conveyed a set of ‘red lines’ to the US in 2010, specifically mentioning attacks in Balochistan as a no-go area.
Hale called on the Army chief at General Headquarters. The situation arising after the US drone strike in Balochistan came under discussion during the meeting.
Read more: Afghan Taliban confirm Mullah Mansour’s death, appoint Mullah Haibatullah as new chief