News
Friday, October 15, 2010
Pak, US urged to track civilian deaths in military operations* Study says 2,300 civilians were killed in Pakistan compared to 2,400 in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad and Washington must publicly track civilian deaths from military operations and drone strikes in Pakistan and compensate the families of those killed, a US advocacy group said in a new report.
The study by the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict warned that unless the Pakistani government and military take action, they risk undermining public support for the war against Taliban and al Qaeda militants.
It also cautioned the US that failure to provide greater transparency about who is targeted and killed in the growing number of drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal belt could drive more people to join the extremists.
“Despite the severity and consequences of these losses, civilian casualties receive too little attention from US, Pakistani, and donor-nation policymakers, as well as military officials,” said the report, written by Christopher Rogers and released on Wednesday.
The group, founded in 2003, urges warring parties to help civilians harmed in armed conflict.
The study did not provide a breakdown of the number of people killed or injured in suspected US drone strikes because of a lack of available information. Officials and residents regularly report deaths of civilians, but there is very little independent reporting on the incidents.
Pakistani military officials insisted they take all appropriate precautions to avoid civilian casualties, the report said.
The militants targeted in these operations have also caused widespread suffering. Terrorist attacks killed an estimated 2,300 civilians in Pakistan last year, according to the report.
In comparison, 2,400 civilians were killed in Afghanistan last year, including some 1,600 by anti-government groups and 600 by pro-government forces, according to the United Nations.
Poor management and oversight of the compensation schemes meant that most of the victims interviewed did not receive anything for their losses, the report said.
US officials have privately said that civilian casualties from drone strikes are extremely minimal, but the report uncovered more than 30 alleged civilian deaths in only nine cases investigated, all of which took place since January 2009.
Pakistani military officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the report, while the US Embassy in Islamabad refused to comment. ap
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk