US drone strikes must stop: Hina Rabbani Khar

Pakistan

US drone strikes must stop: Hina Rabbani Khar

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FM Hina Rabbani Khar has said that drone attacks inside Pakistans territory must stop.

26 April,2012 06:22 pm

In an interview with a Reuters on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani said Pakistan has spelt out in no uncertain terms that US drone attacks inside its territory must stop, but Washington is not listening, the countrys foreign minister said.On drones, the language is clear: a clear cessation of drone strikes, Hina Rabbani Khar said.I maintain the position that wed told them categorically before. But they did not listen. I hope their listening will improve, Hina aded.The attacks by the unmanned aircraft from Afghanistan, which US officials say are highly effective against militants, fuel anti-American sentiment in Pakistan because they are seen as violations of sovereignty that inflict civilian casualties.Khars sharp comments on the drone strikes came ahead of a two-day visit to Islamabad by the United States special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman.Ambassador Grossman was due to hold bilateral meetings with Pakistani officials and take part in a core group meeting with officials from both Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the United States is hoping to revive stalled peace talks with the Taliban.Khar said other methods should be used to take out militants in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.We have to look at effective tools which are mutually acceptable. The cost of using tools which are not mutually acceptable is far, far too high. Were looking at alternatives, she said, without elaborating.