Pakistani senators want US drones shot down

Pakistani senators have called for shooting down American spy aircraft when they enter the country’s airspace and fire missiles into tribal regions. Senators showed serious concern over resumption of US drone attacks and called for implementing a decision to shoot down the unmanned aircraft violating the country’s territorial integrity. Speaking on points of order in the Senate, Upper House of the parliament Tuesday evening, they also called for getting any airbase in the country still under the use of US forces vacated. The country’s soil and facilities must not be allowed to be used against its own people, they said. Prof Khurshid Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami criticised the government for its silence over the resumption of drone strikes and asked the defence minister, army and air force chiefs to explain why the decisions supported by parliament and people to shoot down the pilotless aircraft were not implemented. He referred 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 and 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 warned the government of a revolution if people’s expectations were ignored. Professor Ibrahim, another Jamaat-e-Islami senator, said there were reports that some airbases were still being used by US forces and urged the government to immediately get them vacated. He also sought an assurance from the government that the Nato supply route would never be reopened. The senators also walked out of the Senate proceedings to show anger at the US drone strikes and the government’s failure to hit the intruding spy aircraft. Meanwhile, senator of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, Raza Rabbani, said that no written record for handing over airbases to the United States was available with the Foreign Office, Defence Ministry or any government agency.