Mending US-Pakistani ties
March 20, 2012
A committee of Pakistani parliamentarians tasked with outlining a new direction for relations with the United States said it wants to see an end to attacks by US drone aircraft in the country.
The committee also called for an unconditional apology for a drone attack in November that killed 24 soldiers at a border post, saying the attack was a "blatant violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Pakistan's relationship with the US has been strained since the attack. Drones are sometimes used by US forces pursuing suspected members of al Qaeda and the Taliban who have come into Pakistan over the border from Afghanistan.
Last November's attack prompted Pakistan to close NATO supply lines to Afghanistan, but some recommendations from the committee indicated these could be reopened, with possible taxes or duties placed on goods passing through the country.
Changes proposed by the committee will now be debated by legislators. This will be followed by a vote in the next two or three days.
mz/ncy (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)