By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan said Thursday that strikes by US drones aircraft in the country’s tribal regions are ‘not helpful in the context of winning hearts and minds’, which is important for defeating terrorism.
The US regularly fires missiles from pilot-less aircraft to hit hideouts of suspected militants in the Pakistani tribal regions despite Pakistan’s public opposition to the strikes.
“These attacks are violation of our sovereignty,” Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said while responding to a question regarding demand of the United Nations for a halt to drone attacks.
Pakistan has differences with the United States on this issue and the two countries are working together to find out mutually acceptable arrangement so that our efforts to counter terrorism become more effective,” he said.
The spokesman told a questioner that the Washington Post story about possibility of unilateral strikes inside Pakistan by the United States was baseless.
“Pakistan and the United States have been working to intensify bilateral cooperation in the context of counter terrorism including sharing of real time intelligence”.
He said the United States never conveyed anything of the sort directly or indirectly to Pakistan as suggested by the Washington Post.
“Our armed forces and security and law enforcing forces have been doing a great job in the context of terrorism and people of Pakistan have also rendered enormous sacrifices”.
He said Pakistan is facing numerous challenges but the Government and the people are united in their resolve to defeat terrorism.
Asked whether there was any foreign pressure on Pakistan to launch military operation in South Punjab, the spokesman said it is not the question of pressure on the country.
“Pakistan decides on its own and any decision to take action anywhere would be taken in the larger interest of the country”.