(Pakistan) defence ministry asked to respond in drone case (request for formal ban)

[Robb]

Source: SAMAA

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) has asked the defence ministry to submit its response in petition seeking ban on drone attacks for May 5, 2010.

The petition has been submitted by Khalid Khwaja. Deputy attorney general informed the court that earlier the court sought response from interior ministry. However, the issue comes under defence ministry on which the court asked defence ministry to submit its response.

According to petitioner, those dying in drone attacks are ordinary citizens whereas these attacked are also a threat to national security. The petitioner asked the court to issue orders banning the drone attacks.

Read more: http://www.samaa.tv/News19325-Defence_ministry_asked_to_respond_in_drone_case.aspx

---

Nothing more at link. This is important for two reasons: first, because of who the http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Khalid%20Khawaja&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=nw">petitioner Khalid Khwaja is, and http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Khalid%20Khawaja&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=nws:1&source=og&sa=N&tab=wn">where he's at right at the moment; and second, because if the ministry responds it would be the first acknowledgment of a formal thumbs-up or thumbs-down on US drone strikes in the FATA from the military's perspective.

[ixion]

1. gee, and one of you Blue Dogs was just berating me last week about how

Pakistan LOVES the US drone attacks.

I guess not so much.

[Robb]

2. You perhaps should read it again. nt

[Flaneur]

3. The politics of Pakistan is so bizarrely byzantine.

Did the Taliban kidnap this guy, or was it the CIA?

Is this guy a terrorist, an intel agent, or a human rights activist?

In any case, it is good that the Pakistani government will have to take a public position on allowing a foreign power to drop bombs out of the sky on its citizens.

[Robb]

4. You're gonna love this, then

From today: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=235381">Afghan Taliban distance themselves from ‘Asian Tigers’