NEW YORK: In an effort to press the United States to halt drone strikes on Pakistan’s territory that have caused numerous civilian casualties, a large number of Pakistanis and their fellow Americans held a protest rally in front of the United Nations building in New York.
The protest rally was organized by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) USA in collaboration with members of USA Freedom Forum (PUFF) and International Action Centre (IAC).
The demonstrations were shouting ‘Drones Fly Children Die’ and carrying placards denouncing the US drone attacks in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region.
The speakers at the gathering condemned the killings of civilians‚ especially children‚ by drone attacks that they said were against the international law.
They also called upon the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take steps to ban these strikes.
Pakistani authorities have regularly condemned the US drone attacks and maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive‚ entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications.
Pakistan has also raised the issue of drone attacks at different world forums including the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Moreover, the legendary cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan-led PTI, which rules in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province along with coalition partners, has been holding a sit-in protest for over a week to block NATO supply going through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan till a complete halt to the US drone attacks on Pakistan’s territory.
