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Published 03 Jun, 2013 04:37am

‘PTI won’t exploit centre on drones’

LAHORE, June 2: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf says though it strongly opposes US drone attacks, its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will not create a rebellion like-situation in the province against the federal government.

“We’ll protest and raise the (drone) issue in the assemblies and make the (federal) government realise that drone attacks are unacceptable to the people, particularly those in tribal areas,” PTI’s former information secretary Shafqat Mahmood told the media outside party chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence here on Sunday.

He, however, hastened to add that the protest would not create a rebellion-like situation as it would be against national and provincial interests.

Shafqat, who returned to the National Assembly from a Lahore constituency, told a questioner that his party wished that both federal and the provincial governments would devise a comprehensive strategy vis-à-vis drone hits.

KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, who had come to inquire after the party chairman, said the PTI would adopt a clear policy on drones though protecting territorial limits of the country was federal government’s job.

Replying to a question about talks with the Taliban, he said though formulating foreign policy was federation’s responsibility, he personally supported a dialogue with the militants for restoring peace in the province and the country.

Mr Qaiser said although law and order was a big challenge, his party accepted the challenge and would make KP a ‘model province’.

Law and order, education, and sports activities for youth would be priorities of the KP government, he added.

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