Pakistan warns US against drone strikes

ISLAMABAD (Online) - President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday again made it clear to United States to stop drone
attacks on Pakistans soil, saying that such strikes were creating a negative impact on the mindset of the
people. President Zardari expressed these views while talking to US Ambassador in Pakistan Anne W
Patterson at the Presidents House on Friday in a luncheon meeting hosted in honour of the American envoy.
During the interaction, a host of issues came under discussion with special focus on the war against terror and
drone attacks, sources told Online.
The president told US ambassador that halting the drone strikes necessary, as apart from producing negative
repercussions it was not an appropriate strategy to counter terrorism. He also maintained that the security forces
were fully capable to destroy the hideouts of militants in Swat and South Waziristan. He also thanked the US
administration for its efforts in the adoption of the Kerry-Lugar Bill to provide $1.5bof annual assistance to
Pakistan over a period of five years and urged Washington to assist the IDPs in the rehabilitation and
reconstruction work.
On the other hand, Anne W Patterson said her country would keep on supporting Pakistan in the present hard
circumstances, adding that the US wanted a strong and stable Pakistan. She further informed President Zardari
that the US was providing all kinds of technical and besides financial assistance for the rehabilitating the
war-affected areas.