WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has put drone attacks in Pakistan on hold, CNN reported on Saturday, noting that Islamabad’s decision to step up its military actions in Fata contributed to the decision.

The report pointed to a combination of factors which contributed to the cessation of dro­ne strikes in Pakistan since the beginning of the year. These included President Obama pushing for a more calibrated use of drone strikes, decimation of “high value” targets in the tribal areas and a strong “pushback” from the Pakistani public and governm­ent who saw the drone strikes as a violation of their sovereignty. “And the fact that the Pakistani government is stepping up its own military operations” also encouraged the US to reduce strikes, the report added.—Correspondent

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2014