Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the US to stop drone attacks in the country's tribal areas after a group of parliamentarians spoke of the growing resentment among local people against it.
The issue came up when parliamentarians from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) met Zardari on Monday, Dawn reported.
President's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the FATA delegation apprised the president of the resentment against drone attacks. They also highlighted civilian casualties in the attacks.
Zardari spoke of the need to transfer drone technology to police and civil armed forces, Babar said.
Zardari said the government had a clear stance that drone attacks were counter-productive and were intensifying anti-American sentiments.
"Although members of FATA delegation agreed that several top militant leaders have been killed in US drone attacks, the number of civilian casualties has become quite high, causing anti-government and anti-US sentiments in tribal areas," Babar was quoted as saying.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 17:01