From A Ringside Seat

The government is giving signals of policy change regarding drone attacks inside Pakistan's territory and in this regard, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani informed the National Assembly that we are seeking international diplomatic help to end drones attacks, which are becoming counterproductive in war on terror.
The government wants to gradually bring some changes in the policy on drone attacks. Certainly, the government could not take U-turn on drone attacks without consulting military. And this process started for the first time when Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani strongly condemned predator attack in North Waziristan Agency and claimed that innocent civilians' lives were lost in the attack. He also made it clear that such acts of violence will take us away from our objective ie, elimination of terrorism from the region. Kayani gave this statement when the US forces had resorted to a severe drone attack instantly after release of a CIA official Raymond Davis-killer of two innocent Pakistanis.
To build pressure to stop drone attacks, the government wanted to use various forums like support of opposition parties and people along with diplomacy and other channels. For this purpose, it was also observed that not only opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan strongly raised the issues in last two sitting of on-going session of the National Assembly but for the first time treasury member of Pakistan People Party (PPP) Syed Akhunzada Chatan (Bajor) staged walkout from the House on Wednesday in a protest against drone attacks. He also threatened to stop Nato supply from Khyber Agency to Afghanistan. He also warned to stop supply line of Nato forces via Balochistan by sending a grand Jirga to Quetta.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan strongly condemned drone attacks and asked the government to give its clear stance on the issue. He also questioned the government to tell what was mandate of ISI Chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha's Washington visit and meeting with US CIA Director Leon Panetta.
Today, the Prime Minister responded the opposition leader and gave replies one by one to his questions. While replying about drone attack, the Prime Minister categorically said that the government is against these attacks and these attacks are going on since the pervious government of General (Retd) Musharraf.
The Prime Minister had stated that drone attacks are counterproductive. He also sought help of international diplomatic community and friends of Pakistan to stop drone attacks. He also said that civilian and military are united that militancy has increased because militants got sympathy when innocent people are killed in such attacks.
Similarly from military side it was reported that the Pakistan Army top brass has warned the United States to stop drone attacks in the tribal areas at once as they are "counter-productive". The message was conveyed Thursday to United States Central Command (Centcom) Commander General James N Mattis in meeting with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at the Army House in Rawalpindi and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Khalid Shameem Wynne at Joint Staff Headquarters, Chaklala.
ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha also met with CIA Director in which he described the harmful effects of drone attacks on the War on Terror. General Pasha was scheduled to leave Monday night although earlier reports had indicated he may be staying in Washington for three days and leave on April 13. Pakistan has also demanded many a time of the US government drone technology but it did not provide it so far. President Asif Ali Zaradri had made this demand during his visits to America.
It was also reported that number of drone attacks have increased with the passage of time. In 2005 two attacks were conducted in which five people were killed, in 2006, two attacks, 23 killed, in 2007, four drone attacks, 77 killed, in 2008, 33 drone attacks, 313 people were killed, in 2009, 53 attacks, 724 people killed, in 2010, 118 attacks 993 killed and in ongoing 2011, 22 drone attacks were conducted and so far 141 people were killed.
Top US officials consider these strikes very successful and believe that the senior al Qaeda leadership has been 'decimated' by these strikes. Pakistan had repeatedly protested against these attacks as they are infringement on its sovereignty and because of civilian deaths including women and children, which has further infuriated the Pakistani government and people.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) delivered a report sharply criticising US tactics in 2009. The report asserted that the US government has failed to keep track of civilian casualties in its military operations, including the drone attacks.