THE US is raining drones on Pakistani soil with a vengeance. On Tuesday alone the drones death toll has reached 30. Despite having proven counterproductive in the so-called 'war on terror, the drones have primarily killed innocent Pakistani civilians, including women and children, including over one hundred in January this year alone. The fallout for Pakistan is dreadful, Not only does it show that the Pakistani government is allowing its citizens to be killed by the US on Pakistani territory, it also creates more recruits for the extremists and militants and makes the job of winning over the tribals so as to isolate the hardcore militants that much more difficult. It would appear that that is the US insidious design against Pakistan, since they also know that such strikes not only add to the locals' resolve to fight the Americans, but they also undermine the credibility of the Pakistan military and the state. At a time when the Pakistan Army is managing to win over the local tribes into committing to handing over militants, the drone attacks are undermining this critical effort to ending terrorism and extremism in the country. Admiral Mullen, Chairman US JCS, has informed Congress that the Taliban are gaining influence in Afghanistan and in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. His argument was to convince Congress to give financial support for the US effort in Afghanistan. But if he and the US Congress were to ponder rationally as to why this is happening they would realise that the military factor is a major cause, especially the drone attacks. Instead, simply continuing to accuse Pakistan of being the epicentre of global terrorism is now becoming a costly cop out. The reality is that it is the misguided and deathly US policies, especially vis-a-vis the Muslim World that have become the root cause of fanning militancy and extremism globally. Meanwhile, the Pakistan government has to take a stand on the drones beyond simple declaratory statements as these lack credibility. After all, as has been demonstrated by the Pakistan Air Force, we certainly have the technical capability to target the drones. So, if the US is not prepared to accept our demand and stop violating our sovereignty with the drone attacks, then we need to demonstrate intent and will through actions. Especially a democratic government needs to realise that it cannot justify the killing of its own people by a supposed ally on its own territory. In any case, one has to make a distinction in the punitive actions by a state against alleged terrorists and the violence perpetrated by the latter. The state must abide by legal norms and rules of engagement, otherwise they descend to the level of the terrorists.