| Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan of the High Court of Peshawar ruled Thursday that US drone strikes in the region are illegal. The justice also directed Pakistan's Foreign Ministry [official website] to introduce a resolution against such attacks in the UN. The decision stems from a lawsuit filed by the Foundation for Fundamental Rights [advocacy website] on behalf of those who have had family members killed in a drone strike. Khan said the drone strikes should be declared a war crime and that Pakistan should consider breaking diplomatic ties [PTI report] with the US if it vetoes its resolution in the UN. US officials maintain that the drone strikes target al Qaeda and Taliban fighters [Independent report] who are responsible for cross-border attacks in Afghanistan and that the Pakistani has condoned strikes. |