By IANS,
Islamabad : Pakistan Friday reiterated that it wants to resolve the issue of US drone strikes in the country through bilateral talks, a day after an unmanned aircraft killed Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Nazir.
Nazir and five of his companions were killed Thursday near Wana town of South Waziristan when a drone fired two missiles at his vehicle.
Xinhua said Nazir’s Wazir tribe had struck a peace deal with Pakistan in 2007 and both sides were holding the agreement. However, the US had accused him of sending fighters to Afghanistan for attacks on foreign and Afghan troops.
Though Pakistan has been publicly opposing the drone attacks, the US has not hinted at any change in the CIA-controlled drone operations.
“We consider the drone strikes totally unproductive, illegal and violative of Pakistan’s territorial integrity,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Moazam Khan said Friday.
He said that time and again Pakistan has taken up the issue with the US and hoped both sides will be able to resolve it bilaterally.
“We are also in touch with different organisations including the UN to brief them about Pakistan’s position on the drone attacks,” the spokesman said.
Asked about the killing of Mullah Nazir, the spokesman said he could not confirm the death of the Taliban leader.