Sharif condemns US drone strikes

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Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his speech to the first cabinet meeting Monday condemned the US drone attacks as violation of national sovereignty.

Sharif has been critical of the drone attacks in the country's tribal regions since he assumed office as the prime minister last week, reported Xinhua.

The CIA-controlled drone operation carried out one strike in North Waziristan only two days after Sharif became the prime minister.

Nawaz Sharif told the cabinet that his government has chalked out a policy to counter the drone strikes but he did not elaborate.

"It is a matter of concern that after taking charge of the new government, a drone attack was launched, which is not acceptable in any way," the prime minister said.

Sharif's remarks came at a time when an opposition party submitted a resolution against the drone strikes in the national parliament.

Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a central leader of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, said the resolution seeks condemnation of the drone strikes and calls for tough measures to stop drone attacks.