Nisar condemns govt’s silence over Kurrum drone attack

ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday said it is surprising that Pakistan did not even issue a formal condemnation against the US drone attack in Kurram Agency on September 15.

A suspected US drone strike killed three and injured two in Kurram Agency of the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Friday.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Nisar, a disgruntled leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met with the US ambassador on the day of the drone attack and it was surprising to see that he did not issue a statement against it.

“If PM Abbasi was in the House today, I would have raised this issue personally, not in the assembly,” he added.

“Drone attacks are a challenge to Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. I am telling the world to respect Pakistan,” he said.

The former interior minister said that the National Assembly speaker should send a letter on behalf of the government and opposition to British politician and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for standing with Pakistan.

Criticising the Foreign Office, Nisar said that the recent BRICS resolution was against Pakistan due to India’s successful diplomatic effort.

“This was not a sudden event. India was preparing for it for long and our Foreign Office was sleeping, Our diplomats should be asked about it,” he said.

Speaking on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims, Nisar said that the exodus of 450,000 Rohingya Muslims from their homes in Myanmar and state-sponsored persecution against them is a matter of shame for humanity.

“Human rights organisations raise a hullabaloo when even a dog is killed but here Muslims are being killed and they are silent,” he said, adding that Pakistan should call a special meeting on Rohingya Muslims in the OIC and also initiate a fund for the community.

Later, the assembly adopted a resolution moved by Federal Minister for Law Zahid Hamid expressing solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims and called on the UN to take notice of the issue.