Drone strike stirs tension between US and Pakistan

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan yesterday condemned a U.S. drone strike that killed three suspected militants in the northwest, the first since the country’s parliament demanded that Washington end the attacks two weeks ago.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the strikes “are in total contravention of international law and established norms of interstate relations.” Moazzam Ahmad Khan, a foreign ministry spokesman, declined to comment on Pakistani newspaper reports that Islamabad would pull out of the NATO conference on May 20-21 in Chicago, where countries are set to discuss the drawdown of international troops from Afghanistan.

Pullout from NATO summit

A senior government official told the Pakistani daily Express Tribune that the country was contemplating a number of options to convey a strong message on drone strikes to the U.S. One such option includes pulling out of the Chicago summit. The Pakistani Parliament in mid-April unanimously approved new guidelines for the country in its relationship with the U.S., a move that Washington hoped would pave the way for the supply lines to reopen.

When asked about the most recent strike, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani pointed out that the resolution passed by parliament also stipulated that foreign fighters must be expelled from the country and Pakistani soil should not be used to attack other countries.