Pakistan condemns US drone strike in Hangu

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned the US drone strike in Hangu, the first in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of the country.

During the weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesman, Aizaz Chaudhry said US drone strikes were a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The spokesman added that Pakistan had always raised the issue of drone strikes with the US administration and United Nations. “The issue had also been raised by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his meeting with US President Barack Obama.”

Chaudhry told reports that Pakistan had always maintained that drone strikes have negative consequences and result in the loss of innocent lives.

Earlier on Thursday, a US drone fired three missiles at a seminary in Tehsil Tal of Hangu. Local says students of the seminary were among six people killed in the drone strike.

According to police sources, three of those killed were members of the Haqqani network.

On Wednesday, Prime Ministers Advisor on Foreign Affairs and National Security, Sartaj Aziz had informer the Senate body that the US had assured Pakistan of not conducting any drone strikes during the government’s talks with the Taliban.