Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador over drone attack

Pakistan on Saturday summoned the U.S. ambassador to the Foreign Ministry and a formal protest was lodged over the American drone strike which killed the Taliban Chief, Hakimullah Mehsud.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that a protest demarche was served on the U.S. ambassador that the strike has killed the peace process.

The Minister accused the United States of ‘killing the peace’ through a drone strike which killed the Pakistani Taliban Chief, Hakimullah Mehsud.

The Minister told a hurriedly called press conference that the government had finalized a strategy to begin talks with the Taliban but the U.S. drone strike in North Waziristan tribal region has caused a serious setback to the process.

A three-member delegation of the country’s top religious scholars was scheduled to leave for Waziristan Saturday morning to meet the Taliban to discuss the possible agenda and decide place

The visit was cancelled following the drone strike.

“It is the murder of the peace and peace efforts by the government of Pakistan,” the Minister said after he presided over a high level meeting on the situation arising out the murder of the Taliban chief.

“The U.S. has ambushed the peace process from the back,” Mr Chaudhry said.

The Minister disclosed that there had been progress towards the peace talks with the Taliban and both sides had also exchanged messages and had established “positive contacts”.

He said that the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad had met him and offered certain conditions to stop drone strikes but he had rejected the offer and told him that halt to the strikes is Pakistan’s public and clear demand.

Talking about his discussions with the U.S. ambassador, he said the ambassador had offered a secret understanding on the drone strikes but he dismissed the proposal and insisted that everything will be in writing and public.

“The U.S. ambassador assured me that drones will not target the TTP but will hit those who will cross into Afghanistan from Pakistan as no one knows about the movement,” he added.

Mr Chaudhry said that the government had earlier planned to start talks with the Taliban but series of attacks including one on the top military officers over the past two months had affected the process.

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