Pakistan raises US drone attacks issue at UN Human Rights Council

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today said it has raised at the UN Human Rights Council the issue of US drone strike in the country and asked the international community to take note of rights violations taking place as a result of such illegal attacks.

The Foreign Office (FO) said that Pakistan has taken the issue of drone attacks by the US to the UN Human Rights Council.

Speaking at the Human Rights council in Geneva, Permanent Representative of Pakistan, Ambassador Tehmina Janjua stressed that the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms should respond to human rights violations and the loss of precious lives as a result of drone strikes on the territory of Pakistan in violation of its sovereignty.

"She emphasised that these drone strikes are also a violation of UN Charter, International Law including Human Rights and Humanitarian Law," the FO said.

Pakistan has been stressing repeatedly that use of armed drones or remotely piloted aircrafts is a breach of human rights, in particular, the right to life, which is non-derogable, it said.

The ambassador urged the international community and the Human Rights Council to remain seized of human rights violations taking place as a result of illegal drone strikes, according to the FO.

Pakistan had been enraged at the May 21 US drone strike which killed Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in Balochistan.