Pakistan to raise US drone attack issue at UN

Pakistan will raise in the United Nations the issue of US drone attacks as they are against the country's sovereignty, top Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz said on Thursday.

Aziz was speaking at a news conference weeks after an American drone strike killed the Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, near Quetta capital city in Balochistan province.

The attack on May 21 occurred at a time when diplomatic efforts were underway to bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiation table.

"The recent drone attack in Balochistan in which the Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was killed, has breached our sovereignty, caused a serious setback to the peace efforts and intensified hostilities in Afghanistan. The drone strike must, therefore, be condemned by all stakeholders," Aziz said at a news conference in Islamabad.

He said Pakistan will take up the drone issue at the UN Human Rights Council later this year as it has become necessary after the last month's strike.

Aziz recalled that Pakistan had mustered international support leading to the adoption of a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2015 against drone strikes.

--IANS

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