Pakistan terms US drone strikes counterproductive

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Jan 31, IRNA -- Pakistan on Tuesday said that the US unmanned drone strikes inside its territory are illegal and counterproductive, local media reported.

Reports say that Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit made the remarks to a statement by US President Barack Obama that drone aircrafts had targeted militants in Pakistani tribal areas.

'We are of the firm view that these are unlawful, counterproductive and hence unacceptable,' Basit said.

President Obama had claimed that the US drone aircraft have struck Taliban and al- Qaeda targets within Pakistan.

Since 2004, US drones have carried out more than 300 attacks inside Pakistan. Majority in Pakistan describes these drone strikes as a sheer violation of country’s sovereignty.

Earlier, the newly-appointed Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Sherry Rehman, had admitted that her country's relations with the US were certainly not “normal”.

“Pakistan-US tensions have never been so grave. We witnessed repeated episodes in recent times which undermined bilateral relations,” she said.

She added that Islamabd wants to remain friend of Washington on the basis of mutual interests, respect and shared values.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30790406