KARACHI – A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday pleading the court to restrain drone attacks being carried out by the US inside Pakistan. Human Rights Commission for South Asia representative Syed Muhammad Iqbal Kazmi moved the petition under Article 184(3) of the constitution, which empowers the apex to take action for enforcing fundamental rights of citizens. The petitioner stated that such attacks must be declared illegal and unconstitutional, as the provision of facilities and logistics to any foreign country and any alliance for destruction in Pakistan, take away the fundamental rights of citizens of Pakistan.
“The operations being carried out by foreign troops in our territory should also be declared a violation of the United Nations’ charter, the universal declaration on human rights, international laws and international humanitarian laws,” stated the plaintiff, adding that the government should be directed to lodge complaints against the killings of innocent Pakistanis, destruction of their properties and displacement from their homes, at appropriate international forums.
Kazmi also asked the court to direct the respondents to take all preventive measures against the drone attacks to protect the life, liberty, dignity, property and other fundamental rights of the citizens. He cited former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the Chief of Army Staff and the Defence Ministry as respondents. The petitioner also submitted that if there was any valid agreement between Pakistan and the US governments to carry out drone attacks, it should be presented before the apex court.
Seeking judicial proceedings against Musharraf under Article 6, the applicant stated that the former dictator had violated articles A-2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 35, 42, 148, 244 of the constitution. The petitioner pleaded that the respondents be called upon to explain under which authority they have allowed the operation of drones from the soil of Pakistan for attacks inside its own territory.
