U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan “must stop”, Pakistan’s Army chief General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday, days after American special forces killed Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a drone attack in the country’s restive Balochistan province.
Speaking with the media after attending President Mamnoon Hussain’s address to a joint session of Parliament that was also attended by the chiefs of the country’s Air Force and Navy, Gen. Sharif said: “U.S. drone strikes in Pakistani territory are regrettable and must stop.”
U.S. President Barack Obama, hailing Mansour’s death as an “important milestone” in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan, had said American forces would continue to go after threats on Pakistani soil.“We have removed the leader of an organisation that has continued to plot against and unleash attacks on American and Coalition forces,” said Mr. Obama.
Gen. Sharif also said the operation against the militants was going on successfully. “We have to maintain the victories of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Terrorists will not be allowed to re-enter into areas cleared in South Waziristan and North Waziristan,” he said.
Pak.-Afghan border
Gen. Sharif added the border management with Afghanistan was improving and urged Kabul to take matching measures on its side of the border. He declared that the $46-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was a national project and it would be completed at any cost. The security situation in the country, especially in Karachi city and Balochistan province, is improving, he added.