Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Pakistan's Islamic party condemns US plan to expand drone attacks

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 20, IRNA -- Pakistan’s main Islamic party Thursday angrily reacted to a reported American plan to expand its covert operation in the country.

US media reported that the US President and National Security Advisor are considering proposals to expand drone attacks from the tribal regions to southwestern Balochistan.

American drones regularly fire missiles on tribal regions to hit the hideouts of the suspected militants in the tribal region of Waziristan.

The US recently expanded strikes to another tribal region of Orakzai and also the settled area of Bannu.

The US media reports said that Taliban suspects have moved to Balochistan from Waziristan, and that they are crossing southern Afghanistan for attacks on the NATO forces.

Deputy chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Prof. Khurshid Ahmad expressed serious concern over reports of US plan to expand operations in Pakistan and also to conduct more cross-border ground operation as was done in September, last year.

He said that United States had failed in all terms to defeat peoples’ struggle against foreign occupation in Afghanistan and is now bent upon destabilizing Pakistan.

“US policies in the region are in complete disregard of peoples’ sentiments as expressed in resolution of the parliament passed in its joint sitting on October 22, 2008” he maintained.

“It, however, seems that the Government has failed to effectively deliver that message of the Parliament to the American leadership. Neither it is implementing that resolution in letter and spirit”, he stressed.

He said that the report needed to be taken seriously and it had to be ensured that no further violation of national sovereignty is allowed.

He warned that if the said attacks are allowed in Baluchistan and no immediate and effective steps are taken to put a hold to American use of force then discontent and anger among Baloch population would further increase.

Professor Khurshid also submitted adjournment motion in the upper house seeking adjournment of normal proceedings to discuss this matter of ‘urgent national importance’.