By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani Saturday said he is hopeful the new U.S administration led by Barack Obama will stop missiles strikes in the country’s tribal regions.
The statement came hours after a fresh missile strike by suspected U.S drone in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region killed at least 8 people, according to local officials and witnesses.
The U.S drones regularly fire missiles which it says aimed at targeting suspected al-Qaeda militants in the tribal regions despite strong protest by Pakistani government.
General David McKiernan, Commander International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan who was in Islamabad on Thursday was quoted by local media as saying that halt to missile strikes is beyond his powers.
Pakistani officials say that U.S has carried out 19 missile attacks in the tribal regions since August. They say that mostly civilians are killed in such attacks.
“As a responsible nation we have been taking up the American air attacks on our territories at the diplomatic and government levels, and we hope that the new US government led by Barack Obama will stop missiles attacks, ” Gilani told a news conference in hometown Multan.
He said that in the United States there is a transition period and the things would improve as soon as the new government takes charge of the office.
“Foreign elements including Uzbeks, Chechens, Afghans and Saudis are involved in cross-border activities which provide justification to the NATO forces to launch air strikes on Pakistan territory,” he said.
He said as a consequence of our Army’s effective strategy these foreign militants will be controlled and eliminated, which will usher an era of peace, stability and consequent prosperity in the country.
“Pakistan is a sovereign country and will not allow anyone, NATO or foreign militants, to disturb national peace and security,” he said.
He said the whole nation including all segments of the society condemn the NATO attacks on Pakistani territory as it is a gross violation of the country’s sovereignty.
He said the Army has been assigned the task of checking extremism in the troubled areas of Federally Administered Tribal Regions (FATA) and the North West Frontier Province.
“The Army has adopted an effective strategy to eliminate militancy and extremism in that region”.