Updated on
Summary The government has condemned the U.S. drone strike that killed three suspects in the northwest.
The latest Sunday’s strike is the first since the parliament demanded the Washington to end the attacks two weeks ago.U.S. officials have indicated in private that they have no intention of stopping the covert CIA drone program in Pakistan, which could imperil the Obama administrations attempts to get Islamabad to reopen supply lines to NATO troops in Afghanistan.Earlier, the government closed Afghan border crossings to NATO supplies last November in retaliation for American airstrikes that killed 24 soldiers. It also kicked the U.S. out of a base used by American drones.After months of political wrangling, the parliament in mid-April unanimously approved new guidelines in its relationship with the U.S., a move that Washington hoped would pave the way for the supply lines to reopen.But that has not yet happened.The foreign ministry issued a statement early Monday saying the strikes are in total contravention of international law and established norms of interstate relations.The government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone attacks are in violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, it said.Its not the first time the U.S. has ignored Pakistans parliament, which demanded an end to drone strikes in 2008. The attacks are unpopular because many believe they mostly kill civilians, an allegation disputed by the U.S. and independent research.
