Drone attack 'detrimental' for ties with US: Pakistan army chief

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif today told the US envoy that the American drone attack on Pakistani soil to kill Taliban chief Mullah Mansour is detrimental to bilateral ties and counter-productive for the Afghan peace process.

US Ambassador David Hale visited the military's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the army said.

The situation arising after US drone strike in Balochistan on May 22 came under discussion during talks between Sharif and the US envoy, it said.

"While expressing his serious concerns over the said drone strike, the Chief of the Army Staff said such acts of sovereignty violations are detrimental to relations between both countries and are counter-productive for the ongoing peace process for regional stability," army said.

It is for the first time that army has spoken on the issue.

Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan yesterday refused to confirm the death of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour but said a DNA test will be done to establish the identity of a man killed in a US drone strike last week.

He had condemned the drone attack as violation of Pakistan's territory and said it may lead to serious implication for relations between Pakistan and the US.