News reports say that the US has gradually increased the intensity and frequency of drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The US claims that these areas provide sanctuaries for the terrorists. These terrorists are playing havoc with the lives of innocent people in the country and, in a nexus with the Al Qaeda, they are also targeting US and other security forces in Afghanistan.
The real issue for Pakistan is not the attacks by remotely controlled pilotless planes, but the loss of innocent lives they are causing. Though the US claims they have helped in limiting Talibans activities and that they have eliminated some of their top level management, the negative impact of these attacks are also not so nominal as to be ignored. Countrys image, peoples sentiments, distrust between US and Pakistan and the financial costs of these attacks have made them unbearable for us.
Being targeted by enemies is surely understandable in terms of a conflict but how can you explain the bombing of innocent civilians of the so-called crucial ally in the war on terror.
SEEMA GHAZAL
Karachi
