Government’s Connivance in US Drone Attacks Not Acceptable to Nation

According to the British news agency, Reuters, two separate government officials have disclosed, on condition of anonymity, that permission for the drone attacks conducted by America the previous day was accorded by the [Pakistani] government itself. Following the attack on the airport in Karachi, it sought help from the U.S. government for targeting terrorist havens.

News reports based on someone having said something on condition of anonymity are generally not reliable. However, supporting the authenticity of this report is the fact that the foreign ministry first denied that any drone attack had taken place and subsequently issued a weak protest. Further, the prime minister, defense minister and other prominent officials refrained from issuing statements denouncing the attack.

The people being killed in the drone attacks are the very people that are being targeted by our military. Government and military circles may possibly take a somewhat favorable view of the attacks; the fact is, however, that the attacks are against Pakistan’s dignity and sovereignty.

Instead of inviting America to conduct drone attacks, the Pakistan army should ask for intelligence sharing and conduct the targeting itself. In no case should the U.S. be allowed to conduct drone attacks or be requested to do so. Such attacks are in no way acceptable to the nation.