ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) strongly condemned the martyrdom of innocent civilians, who were grazing cattle in the mountains of Katlang, Mardan, in a drone strike, declaring that justifying the deaths of innocent people under the pretext of the fog of war is absolutely unacceptable and intolerable.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a statement on Sunday, said that PTI, its leaders, and workers are deeply grieved over the Mardan tragedy. He stated that PTI extended its deepest condolences to the affected families and stood firmly with them and shares in their sorrow equally.
Waqas stated that the martyrdom of innocent children, women, and men is unbearable and it was a complete serious intelligence failure. He said that the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has already announced to conduct a complete and impartial inquiry to investigate the tragic incident, bring the truth to the public, and hold those responsible accountable under the law.
He stated that the provincial announced to provide full financial and legal support to the affected families. He emphasized that PTI’s Founding Chairman, Imran Khan, has always strongly condemned and opposed drone strikes due to the killing of innocent civilians under the guise of ’collateral damage, adding that the Katlang tragedy is another yet another example of this chain, where ordinary citizens were martyred in the name of counter-terrorism operations.
Waqas stated that PTI is against terrorism, but the KP government wanted to tackle the scourge of terrorism through its own approach and policies. He questioned why the provincial government was bypassed and not taken into confidence before carrying out drone attacks.
He said that PTI strongly condemned the cowardly tactics of terrorists who use innocent, unarmed civilians as human shields or hide among the general population; however, the security forces engaged in counter-terrorism operations must prioritise the protection of civilians at all costs and should deal with these terrorists with the highest level of professionalism and expertise.
He said that without foolproof intelligence and meticulously planned operational preparations risked severe collateral damage rather than achieving their objectives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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