News
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Drone attacks a ‘major’ impediment to ties: PMWASHINGTON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the United States to end drone attacks, saying that the unmanned strikes – which penetrate militant havens deep in the tribal areas – represented a “major irritant” in relations. Prime Minister Nawaz, who will meet President Barack Obama on Wednesday, called for warmer ties with the United States and offered Pakistan’s assistance in Afghanistan as US forces prepare to withdraw next year. But Nawaz said the drone strikes represented a “major irritant” in relations. “I would therefore stress the need for an end to drone attacks,” Nawaz said at the US Institute of Peace. He said Pakistan’s political parties believed that drones violated the country’s territorial integrity as well as its own efforts to fight extremism. The Obama administration has reduced the pace of drone strikes in Pakistan in light of the uproar, but US officials argue that such attacks are a useful tool against extremists and are precise enough to avoid most civilian casualties. Nawaz spoke only briefly about drones in his main public address in Washington and vowed cooperation on Afghanistan – seen as the main topic which Obama will want to address on Wednesday. US officials want access for removal of equipment next year but also believe that Pakistan can play a key role in peace talks in Afghanistan. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk