Petition against US drone attacks filed in Pak SC

Islamabad, July 2 (ANI): A petition has been filed in the Pakistan Supreme Court asking the government to table a comprehensive report on the US led drone strikes inside the geographical boundaries of the country.

The petition has been filed by one M. Tariq Asad, who claimed that only innocent tribal people are being killed in the drone strikes.

"I have filed the petition in the Supreme Court as a protest to let the world know about the sentiments of the people of Pakistan on consecutive drone attacks which are killing scores of people," The Dawn quoted Asad, as saying.

Asad, in his petition, has also asked the apex court to give directions to the federal government to approach the International Court of Justice or the United Nations (UN) against the United States.

The petition termed the ongoing military operation in Swat and Malakand Divisions as 'illegal, and said that it was against the citizens, and in derogation of Article 245 (functions of the armed forces) of the Constitution.

"The war against the citizens is not permitted under the 1973 Constitution, besides the military operation against the civilians also does not fall within the purview of Article 245 of the Constitution," the petition stated.

Incidentally, Asad is the same man who had approached the Supreme Court against the Lal Masjid operation in 2007.

Asad, who himself is a lawyer, also represented some of the families of the missing persons in that case. (ANI)