During his recent election campaign Nawaz Sharif pledged to convince Americans to make them change their drone policy in Pakistan. But he seems to have failed in this endeavour so far. The visiting US secretary of State John Kerry has declared that US will continue drone strikes in Pakistan. Rejecting the plea that the drones violate Pakistan’s sovereignty, he argued that the Al-Qaeda leaders like Ayman al-Zawahiri were also violating the sovereignty of Pakistan. This statement by John Kerry is extremely deplorable. In fact, the members of Al Qaeda and other militants are non-state actors whose whereabouts are not known. Pakistan’s security forces have launched full-scale war against them.
These militants are simply outlaws and their activities are all illegal while United States of America is a sovereign country with full responsibility for its actions. No one in the country appreciates or justifies the terrorist acts by the Taliban. What will be the reaction of Pakistan if India attacks Pakistan by adhering to this argument? Will we accept Indian plea? Surely, not! The US, which calls itself a world champion of democracy and human rights, should not equate its behaviour with some extremist outlaws. A responsible state’s actions neither can be compared nor should be compared with some non state rogue entities. As both are violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, therefore, both attitudes are condemnable. Indeed, two wrongs can never make a right. As a matter of fact, the present US ‘drone doctrine’ is highly fatal for the security of Pakistan.
MOHSIN RAZA MALIK,
Lahore, August 2.