22 June 2017•Update: 23 June 2017
By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Pakistan on Thursday condemned the U.S. drone strikes on its territory, calling it ‘unacceptable’.
"Our position on drone strikes is very clear, it’s counter-productive and clear violation of the sovereignty of Pakistan," Pakistan Foreign Office’s spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a weekly media briefing in the capital Islamabad.
His remarks came just three days after Pakistan Air Force shot down an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle at Panjgur sector of southwestern Balochistan province.
On Wednesday, Pakistan's foreign office confirmed that it shot down the Iranian drone on June 19 as it was flying at around 3-4 kilometers (1.86 to 2.48 miles) inside Pakistani airspace.
Earlier on June 12, the U.S. drone strikes hit a compound in northwestern Hangu district near Pakistan-Afghanistan border, reportedly killing a high profile militant commander along with two other militants.
During the briefing, Pakistan foreign office spokesman also rejected Afghanistan reservations over the fencing of Pakistan-Afghanistan border and said the construction of fencing would stop militants’ cross border movements.
Pakistan army has commenced fencing of over 2,600 kilometers (1615 miles) border in two phases aim to stop militants across the border attacks.
"Border management is an essential component of our counter-terrorism strategy and fencing is among the measures. We believe that to stem the cross-border movement of terrorists, effective border management is imperative.
“Our efforts of border management are aimed at facilitating movement of people, trade and transit and curb the movement of terrorists,” Zakaria said.
