Pakistan To Observe 3-Day Mourning; US Missile Attack Death Toll 44
By KUNA
Pakistan will observe three days of mourning to condemn the killing of more than 44 people in the US missile strike in bordering tribal region of Waziristan on Thursday.
While people across the country were protesting against the release of Raymond Davis, a covert CIA contractor who killed three Pakistanis in eastern Lahore city, US pilotless aircraft fired six missiles at a gathering of tribesmen, tribal elders and security personnel in North Waziristan tribal agency.
The strike killed more than 44 people including tribal elders and security personnel.
The military chief strongly condemned the strike and said that “it is highly regrettable that a Jirga of peaceful citizens including elders of the area was carelessly and callously targeted with complete disregard to human life”.
The Foreign Office in a statement also strongly condemned the attack and said, “This is not only unacceptable but also a flagrant violation of all humanitarian rules and norms”.
Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir conveyed this strong condemnation to US Ambassador Cameron Munter and has demanded an apology and explanation, said the statement, adding, Ambassador Hussain Haqqani in the US has also been asked to make a similar strong demarche with the US State Department.
Meanwhile, it has been announced to observe three days of mourning to condemn the killing of innocent tribesmen. A Jirga of local tribesmen was held in Mehsoud tribe, which took the decision to observe the mourning.
