PESHAWAR, Jan 15: Justice (retired) Nasira Iqbal has said that super powers often ignore human rights issues and international laws while pursuing their goals and demand more from the weaker nations for adherence to the same laws.

Talking to media persons at the concluding ceremony of a five-day workshop on 'human rights, law and rules of engagements' here on Friday, the former Lahore High Court judge said that drone attacks in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) were counter-productive and against the sovereignty of Pakistan, which should be stopped immediately.

The workshop was organised by Pakistan Army as part of its awareness, education and capacity-building programme for its officers and jawans.

Citing a foreign survey, she said that over 1,200 innocent people were killed in the US drone attacks in Fata during 2004-10 and the ratio of deaths in such attacks was one militant to 10 civilians.

Justice Nasira, who is also a member of the judicial commission for missing persons, said that about 400 cases of missing persons were tabled before the commission and the report had been submitted to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. She said that majority of the missing persons had been traced and released.

She said that the army had played a key role in frustrating the nefarious designs of anti-state elements by protecting lives and properties of people. She said that Taliban had violated the international norms and human rights values in Swat district.

The former judge underlined the need for a comprehensive law for provision of constitutional indemnity to army's actions during counter-militancy operations to effectively tackle the menace of militancy.

She also highlighted the problems being faced by people in tribal regions and called for initiation of development schemes.

On this occasion, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Asif Yaseen Malik said that all major operations in Fata had been successfully completed and that no force could match the Pak Army's gains and sacrifices in the war against terrorism.

“Hundreds of our soldiers were martyred and thousands others injured in the war against terrorism,” he said and added that the army had the resolve to give more sacrifices for protection of the motherland.

He said that Pakistan army highly valued the human rights laws and international obligations. “In this regard, a handful of elements and a section of western media are engaged in a malicious propaganda against us to undermine our matchless sacrifices in the war against terror,” he said.

About the capacity of army, he said that Pakistan army was highly professional army of the world and fully capable to tackle any kind of situation.

The corps commander said that the army's policy about human rights was very clear and strict disciplinary action would be taken against any official found guilty of human rights violation.

Human rights activist Ahmed Bilal Sufi said that international laws provided full opportunities to Pakistan and underlined the need for reformation of old laws in line with international obligations.