No drone strike in 100 days

PESHAWAR: The halt in drone strikes within the geographical territory of Pakistan on Sunday completed 100 days.

For 9 years, 9 months and 17 days US Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) showered missiles on Pakistan’s tribal and settled areas, killing as many as 3,000 according to some estimates, then it stopped on December 26, 2013. The last reported strike took place around midnight in Qutab Khel, five kilometres (three miles) south of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan.

While the federal government claims, the halt in drone strikes was the outcome of their persistent diplomatic efforts; US media quoted White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden on the matter, “We will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence.” - as the government in Islamabad was trying to restart negotiations with the Taliban.

Pakistan's incumbent government has emphasised the need for talks with Taliban since being elected in May last year. In October 2013, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged President Obama to halt strikes during his official visit to Washington.

On the 1st of November 2013, a US drone strike took out Hakimullah Mehsud in Danday Darpa Khel near Miranshah. Shortly after, Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar termed it an attempt to sabotage the governments plan to hold talks with the Taliban.

It was later confirmed that while the US did not agree to Prime Minister Sharif's demand of a complete halt in strikes in October, the US administration had agreed no TTP leaders would be targeted besides Hakimullah Mehsud. Yet for 56 days after the strike on Mehsud's vehicle drone strikes continued.

The people in tribal areas see the halt in strikes as confirmation of earlier suspicions that strikes had the government's approval.

Despite resolutions condemning strikes in the assemblies, sit-ins and protest demonstrations across Pakistan and a UN resolution against drone campaigns, the drone continues to hover above the North Waziristan sky, a fact confirmed by Taliban Liaison committee members who traveled to the tribal areas for talks. It just hasn't struck, in 100 days.