NEW YORK  - Defying icy winds, a number of Pakistani activists, backed by American humanitarian organisations, held a demonstration in front of the UN building on Friday at which they denounced the US drone attacks on Pakistan’s territory and called on the world body to take steps to put an end to them. They raised slogans and carried placards saying that the drone campaign was killing women and children and fuelling terrorism.
The protesters carried Pakistan’s flags as well as the flags of the political parties they represented - Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami. Some people carried large-size portraits of PTI chief Imran Khan. “Drones Fly, Children Die”, they shouted.  Speakers at the rally said the use of drones for cross-border attacks violated international law and urged UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take steps to ban the weapon.
Among those who spoke were Comrade Shahid of Pakistan-US Freedom Forum, Zaman Afridi and Muzzamil Anwar of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), as well as representatives of Jamaat-i-Islami and CODEPINK, an American organisation dedicated to seeking peace and justice.
The protest was jointly organised by PTI, Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum and International Action Centre.