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UK lawmakers urge Obama to end drone strikes in Pakistan

Dawn.com Published July 27, 2012

— AP Photo

LONDON: A group of 12 UK parliamentarians has written a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to stop the drone attacks in Pakistan, DawnNews reported.

In a letter, addressed to the US and the Nato, it was argued that the Britain and the Western countries are under threat because drone attacks provide justification for future terrorist activities.

The letter also claimed that innocent people were killed in the drone strikes.

The parliamentarians said that the attacks were creating hatred for the US amongst Pakistanis and they were also harming Pakistan’s sovereignty.

George Galway, Yasmin Qureshi, John Hemming, Jeraldko Famin, Paul Flain and Simon Disnek include members of House of Commons while Lord Nazir Ahmad, Lord Hussain, Lord Steel Acowood, Lord Jad, , Lord E Escadel and Lord Eubarry are from House of Lords who have signed the letter written to the US President.

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Shahid

Jul 27, 2012 01:03pm

At least some one has the courage to say it is not right be it after a decade

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Victor

Jul 27, 2012 11:43am

If Pakistan gets rid of these terrorists,the Drones will not be needed. and diplomacy will not be needed. Do the Taliban or Al Quedda care when they kill children and women? I understand USA cannot kill children and women but this is war

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waqar

Jul 27, 2012 02:21pm

Barack Obama should realize the suffering humanity, we havealready bundle of challenges to make our lives better. drone attacks creating hatred for US. Please stop unjustified calamity..

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A Khan

Jul 27, 2012 11:53am

This indicates that there are still some sensible people in the world.

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nabeel

Jul 27, 2012 12:03pm

With the present government Pakistan is heading towards a disaster and especially with the drone attacks, Obama has to realize that by these drone attacks he would not achieve anything, he already has killed so many innocent people and children, i don't understand why it took so long for someone to write a letter, things already are ruined in Pakistan and other countries because of these drone attacks

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RSS

Jul 27, 2012 12:42pm

Ironical. ... Pakistans nuclear bombs can do nothing to drones!

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Mira Aziz

Jul 27, 2012 08:52am

Obama loves his daughters, his wife and the rest of his family, as do all human beings. Yet, he has no qualm about ordering the murder of others children and parents.

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TinyT-rex

Jul 27, 2012 02:39pm

I give you that FATA is lawless tribal area. agreed. How do you support it with your comparison though? you have on one hand people of no morality and ethics and on the other-the exact opposite; but then according to the premise of this article (which you agree to) innocent lives are getting lost. Explain who is fighting "war on terror" here?

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Zeeshan Shamsi

Jul 27, 2012 12:27pm

Read up a little of US history, such as in Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia, maybe also Iraq, on who US can kill or cannot kill...

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Ijaz

Jul 27, 2012 09:51am

This is a wonderful move and surely will boost image and stand taken by Pakistan; appreciation to Pak-diplomacy

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Shehzad Ghani

Jul 27, 2012 08:46am

All very valid points. Good there is some sense left in this section of the world!

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Raja

Jul 27, 2012 11:18am

What took them so long to act? where were they for so many years?

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ashwani dogra

Jul 27, 2012 09:10am

Whereas, of course, the jihadis are very particular on whom they kill with bombs in marketplaces or suicide bombers at wedding parties? When all the pious hand wringing is done, some eternal truths remain: Osama and his cohorts declared war on America and found refuge on our soil, with or without proper visas; our government has no control over the lawless FATA areas; and any type of attack-whether by bombing or land invasion- will sadly result in innocent lives being lost or severely displaced. The critical point is which is the lesser evil

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ashwani dogra

Jul 27, 2012 09:10am

I think Mira has lost sight of the backdrop. We are all suffering from the tragic situation, where terrorists are operating nore or less at will. When talk fails, there are always serious consequeces

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Silajit

Jul 27, 2012 03:00pm

Obama is doing Pakistan a favor by using drones. If not for drones, there would be US troops on Pakistani soil ferreting out the Taliban before they cross over to kill innocent Afghans and NATO troops in Afghanistan. He is also providing a thin veneer of cover for the Armed Forces and the Government which claim that they lack the resources to go into FATA. Ignoring the fact that they are ok with the Taliban running Afghanistan without an election but don't want them to run Pakistan the same way, they seem more concerned about the lives of terrorists killed in the attack rather than the people (Afghans and Pakistanis - all Muslims for people that think that religion makes a difference) that they kill. So thank Obama for doing what the Pakistani army and ISI should be doing anyway.

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Victor

Jul 27, 2012 03:13pm

More harm is being done to Pakistan by the terrorists than the drones.

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Jawwad

Jul 27, 2012 03:36pm

Victor we may one day get rid of these terrorist. But how do we get rid of Iraq's oil, Afghanistan/Pakistan's precious metals, trade route to Central Asian country's Natural Resources?

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cautious

Jul 27, 2012 03:43pm

As I recall there are over 1,400 Parliamentarians - the fact that only 12 consider this an issue says something by itself.

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pak

Jul 27, 2012 08:07pm

America or India would understand the problems of Pakistan, IF Afghanistan was CONNECTED to one of them...

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Karim

Jul 27, 2012 08:42pm

Read up instead on 1971, Baluchistan and FATA.

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Zero

Jul 27, 2012 09:17pm

The US revised the definition of 'freedom fighters' to 'terrorists' once it invaded Afghanistan and Obama, the Peace Nobel Laureate, unleashed drones on Pakistan. The US presence in Afghanistan and its drones breed terrorists, who in retaliation kill innocent Pakistanis. Period.

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