MPs criticise US drone attacks inside Pakistan

Parliamentarians on Tuesday severely criticised US drone attacks inside Pakistan, urging the government to revisit its foreign policy by taking the Parliament into confidence. While criticising the drone attacks, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said that the number of drone attacks had increased this month.
He said that as many as five drone attacks were carried out during the last 24 hours. He said many innocent people were being killed in these attacks. "The scope of drone attacks have been widened and extended to Khyber Agency. These attacks are further increasing extremism and terrorism in the country in spite of eliminating it," he said.
Sherpao said the government should take notice and bring this issue to the Parliament for discussion. He also proposed the government to call an All Parties Conference (APC) regarding the issue and revisit its foreign policy. "If we do not take notice of drone attacks, the situation of the country will further worsen and extremism will increase," he said.
Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) said that the joint session of the Parliament had passed resolution against drone attacks, but the government failed to implement the resolution. He demanded of the government to implement the resolution passed by the Parliament in true letter and sprit. He also demanded of the government to revisit its foreign policy.
Haneef Abbasi of PML-N said that the government should clear its policy pertaining to the US drone attacks inside Pakistan's territory. "The government took serious notice of Nato helicopters' violation of Pakistani territory, whereas it does not take any action on drone attacks," he said.
He said that Pakistan's armed forces had the ability to curb the menace of terrorism in the country, as they had succeeded in flushing out militants from Malakand Division. Waseem Akhter of the MQM said that the government should take initiative and call an APC to discuss all the outstanding issues being faced by the country including drone attacks, corruption and others.
While criticising the US, Riaz Hussain Pirzada of PML-Q said that drone attacks were against the sovereignty of Pakistan. He urged the government to take serious notice of the issue and forced the US to stop the attacks. Fozia Wahab of PPP said that war on terror was a debatable issue. The issue of drone attacks should be discussed in the Parliament, she said. "Drone attacks and suicide attacks are linked with each other and we should sit together to find a solution of the issue," she said.