US drones violating Pak territorial integrity should be shot down: Pak Senators

Islamabad, Jan 18 (ANI): Pakistan senators have expressed concern over the resumption of US drone attacks, insisting that any unmanned aircraft violating the country's territorial integrity should be shot down.

The country's soil and facilities must not be allowed to be used against its own people, The Dawn quoted them, as saying.

Speaking on points of order in the Senate, they also called for getting any airbase in the country still under the use of US forces vacated.

Professor Khurshid Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami criticised the government for its silence over the resumption of drone strikes and asked the defence minister and army and air force chiefs to explain why the decisions supported by parliament and people to shoot down the pilotless aircraft were not being implemented.

Referring to a statement made by the army chief that local commanders needed no orders from higher authorities to take action in the event of an attack, he said: "Why such declarations are made when these are not to be acted upon."

Leader of the Opposition in the House Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri supported Professor Khurshid and warned the government of a revolution if people's expectations were ignored.

The bilateral ties suffered following the NATO attack that killed over 20 Pakistani soldiers, leading to the closure of the Shami air base. (ANI)