raju
Senator (1k+ posts)
ISLAMABAD – Chairman PTI, Imran Khan, has expressed his strongest condemnation of the fresh wave of drone attacks on North Waziristan Agency on Tuesday, 11 May, and demanded of the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to stop them.
He stated that these attacks were killing innocent Pakistani citizens and were not being targeted at so-called militants at all. “If, as the Government and US believe, the drones were killing militants, there would have been no militant left in the tribal belt,” he added.
Imran demanded that an independent inquiry should be conducted each time whenever there was a drone attack and the media must be provided access to the site of the attack so that the truth could be established. He raised some pertinent questions relating to the legality or otherwise of the drone attacks:
Firstly, where does international law allow extra-judicial killings and that too by one state against the citizens of another state in latter’s own territory?
Secondly where is a provision for mass killings under international law? Thirdly, under what international law or agreement is the US violating the sovereignty of another state, especially in this case of Pakistan? Fourthly, how can a state simply eliminate mere ‘suspects’ by indiscriminate bombing? Surely in all civilised states, a ‘suspect’ is innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Imran expressed fear that these drone attacks were resulting in continuous loss of innocent Pakistanis’ lives and if they were not stopped, they would result in more suicide attacks. He pointed out that the US strategy in FATA had failed because the fight against militancy and terrorism was a fight for hearts and minds and the US had not been able to achieve this because of its focus on a military-centric strategy. In fact, as a result of US policies in this region, anti-American sentiments have increased across the FATA.
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update: june 30 2010
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Imran takes the matter to sureme court
Imran Khan Moves Supreme Court Against Drone Attacks
ISLAMABAD: Cricketing legend-turned politician Imran Khan has filed a lawsuit in Pakistan’s apex court asking it to declare drone attacks as war crimes.
According to published reports, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief on Wednesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to declare drone attacks as attacks on the sovereignty and defence of Pakistan and a war crime.
The petition, filed by Imran Khan’s lawyer Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, argues that the provisions of logistics and facilities to any foreign country or alliance for mass destruction through drone strikes inside the territory of Pakistan resulting into killings of Pakistani citizen is illegal, unwarranted, unconstitutional, in violation the United Nations Charter, universal declaration of human rights, international law as well as the international humanitarian law, a war crime and an attack on the sovereignty, solidarity, integrity and defence of Pakistan.
Imran Khan’s petition was filed today after a Lahore court Lahore cort ruled against drone strikes and called on the government to take appropriate measures to halt strikes by unmanned drones in Pakistan if they aren’t approved by Islamabad.
Federal authorities should take measures to stop drone attacks in Pakistan if they are carried out without formal approval, the court said on Wednesday.
The court was responding to a petition that said drone strikes were a violation of national sovereignty.
Drone attacks have increased under the authority of U.S. President Barack Obama, notably inside Pakistan. The CIA, a civilian entity, said it is acting according to the code of law in carrying out the strikes.
Pakistan’s government publicly objects to the attacks, saying they violate its sovereignty. But it is widely thought there is a tacit agreement between the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, and Islamabad to allow such strikes, reported Voice of America on its website today.
(http://www1.voanews.com/english/new...ile-Strike-Kills-10-in-Pakistan-97396999.html)
Two missiles believed fired Tuesday by an unmanned drone struck a village in the tribal regions of Pakistan, killing militants including Hamza al-Jufi, an Egyptian allied with al-Qaida.
He stated that these attacks were killing innocent Pakistani citizens and were not being targeted at so-called militants at all. “If, as the Government and US believe, the drones were killing militants, there would have been no militant left in the tribal belt,” he added.
Imran demanded that an independent inquiry should be conducted each time whenever there was a drone attack and the media must be provided access to the site of the attack so that the truth could be established. He raised some pertinent questions relating to the legality or otherwise of the drone attacks:
Firstly, where does international law allow extra-judicial killings and that too by one state against the citizens of another state in latter’s own territory?
Secondly where is a provision for mass killings under international law? Thirdly, under what international law or agreement is the US violating the sovereignty of another state, especially in this case of Pakistan? Fourthly, how can a state simply eliminate mere ‘suspects’ by indiscriminate bombing? Surely in all civilised states, a ‘suspect’ is innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Imran expressed fear that these drone attacks were resulting in continuous loss of innocent Pakistanis’ lives and if they were not stopped, they would result in more suicide attacks. He pointed out that the US strategy in FATA had failed because the fight against militancy and terrorism was a fight for hearts and minds and the US had not been able to achieve this because of its focus on a military-centric strategy. In fact, as a result of US policies in this region, anti-American sentiments have increased across the FATA.
source
-------------------------------------------
update: june 30 2010
--------------------------------
Imran takes the matter to sureme court
Imran Khan Moves Supreme Court Against Drone Attacks
ISLAMABAD: Cricketing legend-turned politician Imran Khan has filed a lawsuit in Pakistan’s apex court asking it to declare drone attacks as war crimes.
According to published reports, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief on Wednesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking it to declare drone attacks as attacks on the sovereignty and defence of Pakistan and a war crime.
The petition, filed by Imran Khan’s lawyer Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, argues that the provisions of logistics and facilities to any foreign country or alliance for mass destruction through drone strikes inside the territory of Pakistan resulting into killings of Pakistani citizen is illegal, unwarranted, unconstitutional, in violation the United Nations Charter, universal declaration of human rights, international law as well as the international humanitarian law, a war crime and an attack on the sovereignty, solidarity, integrity and defence of Pakistan.
Imran Khan’s petition was filed today after a Lahore court Lahore cort ruled against drone strikes and called on the government to take appropriate measures to halt strikes by unmanned drones in Pakistan if they aren’t approved by Islamabad.
Federal authorities should take measures to stop drone attacks in Pakistan if they are carried out without formal approval, the court said on Wednesday.
The court was responding to a petition that said drone strikes were a violation of national sovereignty.
Drone attacks have increased under the authority of U.S. President Barack Obama, notably inside Pakistan. The CIA, a civilian entity, said it is acting according to the code of law in carrying out the strikes.
Pakistan’s government publicly objects to the attacks, saying they violate its sovereignty. But it is widely thought there is a tacit agreement between the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, and Islamabad to allow such strikes, reported Voice of America on its website today.
(http://www1.voanews.com/english/new...ile-Strike-Kills-10-in-Pakistan-97396999.html)
Two missiles believed fired Tuesday by an unmanned drone struck a village in the tribal regions of Pakistan, killing militants including Hamza al-Jufi, an Egyptian allied with al-Qaida.
