So-called drone strike policy

Posted on 5 months ago

Syed Sadaqat Hussain
It would be history of the world that Pakistan becomes a rich-environment for drone attacks. There is no country in the world except Pakistan where the drone strikes have been made tremendously and still continued and gradually intensified.
United States has been using drone strikes in the tribal region of Pakistan since 2004, allegedly under a covert deal with the current Pakistan administration. The statistics show that a total of 339 signature strikes have been made so far in the tribal region of Pakistan and more than 3,000 people have been killed in these strikes. Also, more than one thousand have been reported injured in the drone attacks. This is estimated data because media has no direct access in the area and therefore the casualties or injuries cannot be verified from independent sources. The sources available are from security forces and tribal people.
The United States started using drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal area to segregate and eliminate militants and terrorists during President George W. Bush’s era. The campaign was further intensified after Obama assumed the office. According to the data available, around 52 drone strikes were made during the Bush era, while 298 strikes have been reported under the Obama administration. The increasing number of the drone strikes has not only frustrated Pakistani people, but also the US citizens. Pakistan has repeatedly termed the drone strikes “counterproductive, illegal and unwarranted.” However, Wikileaks exposed Pakistan’s former prime minister (of the current government) saying the strikes are made with tacit support of them.
According to Wikileaks, former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said to the US that Pakistan would protest drone strikes for face-saving in public and the US may continue the campaign to eliminate potential terrorists based in the area.
This is the continuation of the US administration to strike drone on Pakistan’s soil with recent modifying and new setting laid down policy even United State’s Secret targeted killing through drone attacks in Pakistan rapidly getting world attention. The renewal and new setting of killing policy by the US showed how shaky the so-called legal underpinnings of President Obama’s targeted killing policy are. Is this the core objective of Obama’s government that allows him to fire drone otherwise he would be fired. Certainly it is a great narrow frequency, which pursuing by the new administration in this direction. Similarly, fast growing reaction and curb into the world community increasing and a strong attitude in response of unfair, injustice drone policy is going to be seen and felt around the globe.
If US administration understands or believes that this cold-blooded murder is lawful, legitimate, and would not be condemned by the world community it would be their great mistake. There is no justification morally and ethically to run this policy by the United States for killing the innocent people. They should fully know and that’s a sure sign that the programme is neither lawful nor wise. This is also undemocratic, ill thought and running in a satanic way.
Is there any courage in our Judiciary, Constitution, Civil Liberties Union, so called human rights organizations, may condemn US government directly or through the world’s forum or to call a world conference over this issue to stop using lethal force without any justifications only in order to safe his country’s interest.
Is there any forum in the world that can ask to United States that how long this drone missiles strike will go on or more than 8 years are not enough to gain the objectives of the so-called policy. Definitely the objectives behind this policy are different and hidden but by the passage of time these are obviously appearing in front of the world and the time is not so far away for the entire disclosure of its hidden objectives.
I surely say that policy goes far beyond what the US law allows. Even facts are that and it would be rightly to assume and ironically it happened that we are more responsible than the US to the continuity of its programme in our own soil just for the vested interest of the US and their allies. Whiles we have the potential and dexterity to fall the drone but kept the silence on killing of our people.
What a vulnerable administration in the history of Pakistan’s politics is that who pledges and reiterates to protect democracy but people and soil not. Is protection of democracy better than killing of people of Pakistan? This is democratic government of Pakistan, who is allegedly involved in genocide and tyrant guilty of massacre.
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