UNITED NATIONS, Nov 27: “When armed drones kill unarmed, innocent civilians, there is a clear breach of international law,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Masood Khan told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday as the third committee unanimously adopted a resolution which stressed the need for an international agreement on legal questions involving the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Pakistani envoy called for the immediate end to what he said were “illegal” US drone strikes on Pakistan.

Mr Khan said: “The use of drones violates Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In the asymmetric terrorist war, the well-established humanitarian principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution must be observed. This is not being done.”

“There is also obvious geographical disjunction between the location of drone strikes and the primary battlefield,” he added.

Khan asked the general assembly to take note of UN Special Rapporteur Ben Emerson’s report last month which referred to the use of remotely piloted vehicles (UAV).