Pakistan sees lull in US drone strikes

Published December 20, 2011

Washington put on hold US drone strikes after the deadly November raid: Javed Ashraf Qazi. —Reuters (File Photo)

ISLAMABAD: The chief of Pakistan's defence committee says Washington put on hold US drone strikes after the deadly November raid along the Afghan border so as not to ''worsen'' the already strained ties with Islamabad.

Javed Ashraf Qazi said Tuesday he believes the lull in the strikes would at this point only be broken if there was a confirmed report of a high profile target.

There hasn't been a missile strike against militants since the Nov. 26 Nato raid at the Pakistani army border outpost that killed 24 soldiers. That's according to The Long War Journal, a website that tracks the strikes.

It says the 33-day break is the longest ever since the CIA's covert operations began in 2004 against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan's tribal regions along the Afghan border.

Opinion

Editorial

Weathering the storm
Updated 29 Apr, 2024

Weathering the storm

Let 2024 be the year when we all proactively ensure that our communities are safeguarded and that the future is secure against the inevitable next storm.
Afghan repatriation
29 Apr, 2024

Afghan repatriation

COMPARED to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a...
Trying harder
29 Apr, 2024

Trying harder

IT is a relief that Pakistan managed to salvage some pride. Pakistan had taken the lead, then fell behind before...
Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.