Pakistan on Thursday again protested with the United States over the successive drone strikes in the last two days, saying the attacks were clear violation of its sovereignty and the international law.
“A protest has been lodged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the US embassy in Islamabad on drone strikes inside Pakistani territory on October 10 and 11, 2012,” Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Khan said in a press statement.
He said, “The embassy was informed that drone strikes on Pakistani territory were a clear violation of international law and Pakistan’s sovereignty. These attacks are unacceptable to Pakistan.” At least 16 people were killed on Thursday when US drones targeted the compound of a militant commander believed to have links with the Haqqani network in Orakzai agency, press reports said. This was the second drone strike in Orakzai, the first carried out in 2009. The US drones also carried out a strike in North Waziristan on Wednesday, killing five people.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, Khan said Pakistan had taken a clear position on the Kashmir issue. He said President Asif Ali Zardari in his address to the UN General Assembly also raised the Kashmir issue and also referred to the UN failure to address the long standing issue. He admitted that there were difficult issues to be settled between Pakistan and India but there was a desire on both sides of the Indo-Pak border to address all outstanding matters in a meaningful way. “Both Pakistan and India are capable enough to address their issues bilaterally. However, if Russia, the US or China are willing to play good role to address the issues between Pakistan and India, they are welcome,” he said.
On Russian foreign minister’s visit to Islamabad, Khan said the trip was productive as the talks with him covered cooperation in diverse fields, including economy and trade. “Recently, relations between the two countries have witnessed a change. The chief of army staff also visited Moscow recently and held constructive talks with the military establishment there. There is a desire on both sides to take the relationship forward,” he said. Commenting on new dates for the visit of the Russian president, Khan said Vladimir Putin had expressed his keenness to have a summit-level meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in a letter sent to the president. He said, “Both the countries are working on new dates. However, no date has yet been finalised.” To a question on the response of international community on the terror attack on Malala Yousafzai, he said several countries, including the US, had condemned the reprehensible act. He said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had also condemned the attack, adding that “it was an attack on the future and hope of Pakistan”.
About the Syria-Turkey tension, Khan said Pakistan had condemned the Syrian shelling on Turkish territory and hoped that the Syrian government would take action to avert such incidents in the future. “Pakistan wants peaceful resolution of the issue without any coercive measures,” he said. Khan said President Asif Ali Zardari would pay a two-day visit to Baku, Azerbaijan from Monday to attend the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Summit.
