Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, on Wednesday, condemned the relentless drone attacks in the tribal areas of Pakistan, describing them as a breach of national sovereignty. He said that this tantamount to extra judicial killing and collateral damage, which had run to the figure of 708 people being killed in 44 drone attacks, out of which 700 were innocent citizens.
He observed that suicide attacks in Pakistan were mostly in revenge of these drone attacks in which only our citizens get killed on both sides. He lambasted the incumbent government for being hypocritical in criticising this illegal and immoral policy in public but caving in to US coercion in private talks. He referred to the eye opening statement of Admiral Mike Mullen and Carl Levin that drone attacks were being carried out with the consent of the Pakistani government.
He further said that Pakistan was the only US ally to be bombed like this, and deplored the spineless and sheer apathy of the incumbents in dealing with this gross violation of international laws and norms. "The government should stop hypocrisy and tell America that we are not going to allow our citizens to be murdered by the insane and immoral bombardment and will no longer follow the failed strategy," he added.
According to him, lately there had been statements by leading US civil and military leaders, including the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and General Mcrystal, that dialogue with the Afghan Taliban was inevitable to bring political stability in Afghanistan. Some had even gone to the extent of advocating the mainstreaming of the Taliban into the Afghan political system. At the same time Pakistan continued to be pressurised by the US to 'do more' by further expanding military operations.
He asked the government to muster up some courage and review the insane and counter productive strategy of war on terror. "What the US is advocating in Afghanistan has been the consistent demand of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to seek a peaceful resolution of increasing militancy in Pakistan. It is said that our government is even worse than Hamid Karzai's puppet government," he added.