ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali said on Saturday that Pakistan will review its relations with the United States, a day after a US drone strike killed Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud in the restive North Waziristan tribal agency which Nisar described as an attack on peace process.
“I worked day and night with religious clerics and political parties to start peace talks with the Taliban during the last few weeks despite criticism,” Nisar told a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday. But the US drone strike sabotaged the dialogue process, he said.
The interior minister recalled that he had categorically asked the US ambassador to stop drone strikes. “I had warned that if the TTP was targeted during the process of talks that the US would lose its credibility in Pakistan,” he said.
The United States said it supports peace talks and this is how they support by carrying out the drone strike on the head of an outfit, he stated.
“What was the justification of killing Hakimullah Mehsud in the attack?” Nisar questioned. He, however, said that the government had role in the attack.
The interior minister said the Pakistani government tolerated with patience all the recent attacks and still decided to back the peace process.
“Army operation is the easiest solution. To find a peaceful way is the toughest option,” he explained.
Nisar said the government has taken five decisions including serving a demarche to the US envoy.
“Our ambassadors will call on five permanent members of the UN Security Council. A meeting of cabinet’s committee on national security will meet to discuss the situation,” Nisar said. He said the government will also review Pakistan’s relations with Pakistan in the meeting.
