Pakistan not gives permission to drone strike: PM

PERTH: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday categorically said there was no (no) permission to the United States to launch any drone strike against any target inside Pakistan's territory.

"There is no such permission," Gilani told a large group of Pakistani expatriates. The prime minister is here on a four-day visit to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that is being attended by over 50 world leaders.

The Prime Minister said such attacks were counterproductive because of the collateral damages caused as these were undermining government's efforts to get the unanimous support of the masses against the extremists and terrorists.

He said drone strikes were one of the reasons of tense relations between Pakistan and the United States of America.

Prime Minister Gilani, who also had an interactive session with the community members, said there has been a sea change in the country's foreign policy towards terrorism as a result of the vindication of his vision of three Ds, dialogue, development and deterrence.

"There has been a paradigm shift in the policy between a democratic government and a dictatorial regime," he said and added that now the people of Pakistan and the Parliament were the ultimate arbitrators to take important decision of national importance.

Copyright Reuters, 2010