Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Pakistan ruling party leader for pressing US to stop drone attack

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 29, IRNA -- Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on National Security in Pakistan Senator Raza Rabbani has called for concerted efforts by the government and its friends to persuade US to stop drone attacks on Pakistani territory.

US drones regularly fire missiles inside Pakistani tribal regions despite objections by the government while President Obama in his new strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan did not make any commitment to stop the strikes.

Rabbani told reporters that the US drone attacks are counterproductive and also an infringement on the sovereignty of Pakistan.

Condemning the drone attacks, he said that the people of Pakistan have already voiced through the parliament their anguish and dismay over the drone attacks.

He said that the parliament has passed resolutions against the attacks and 'as a democratic country, the US should honor the resolutions of Pakistan parliament as well as provincial assemblies'.

He said that the Committee has asked Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi to brief the panel on the latest situation following the announcement of new policy for the region by US President Obama.

Responding to a question he said that the next meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security would be held on April 6 in which recommendations would be finalized.

**2322

End News / IRNA / News Code 411102