Pakistani PM US Drone Strikes Unacceptable, US Should End Them

Local Editor

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared that US assassination drone strikes are unacceptable and has asked American President Barack Obama to end the attacks on the South Asian country's tribal areas.

On a four-day official visit to the United States, Sharif made the remarks during a news conference on Wednesday in Washington after meeting with the US leader in the White House.

"I also brought up the issue of drones in our meeting, emphasizing the need to end ... such strikes," he said.

A day earlier, Sharif said that drone strikes had "deeply disturbed and agitated" the people of Pakistan and that his government is determined to end these attacks.

"The use of drones is not only a violation of our territorial integrity but they are also detrimental to our efforts to eliminate terrorism from our country," said Sahrif, who was elected prime minister of Pakistan in June in a ground-breaking election.

He said that the drone issue had become "a major irritant" in relations between Islamabad and Washington.

The slaughter of Pakistani civilians, including women and children, in US drone strikes has strained relations between Islamabad and Washington.

According to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the United States' drone strikes in Pakistan have killed up to 3,613 people since 2004.

Source: AFP