Pakistan on Saturday summoned the top US diplomat and lodged a strong protest on drone attacks in the country's tribal belt, Foreign Office said. "On the Prime Minister's instructions, the US chargé d'affaires Richard Hoagland, was summoned this afternoon to the Foreign Office by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi to lodge a strong protest on the US drone strike carried out in North Waziristan on 7 June 2013," said Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.
This is the first time that the new government summoned the US diplomat on the issue. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his first speech to the National Assembly had called for an end to drone strikes. The spokesman said that the US official was handed a demarche in this regard, adding it was conveyed to the US Charde d'Affaires that the government of Pakistan strongly condemned the drone strikes which were in violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The importance of bringing an immediate end to drone strikes was emphasised. It was also pointed out that the government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive, entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications," the spokesman added. He said that it was also stressed that drone strikes have a negative impact on the mutual desire of both the countries to forge a cordial and co-operative relationship and to ensure peace and stability in the region.