The Ministry of Defence through an
affidavit submitted in the
Peshawar High Court (PHC)
claimed on June 20 that neither
the Federal Government nor
the top brass of the Armed
Forces had inked any secret
agreement with the United
States (US) to allow drones
attacks in the tribal areas,
reports The News. Deputy
Attorney General (DAG), Muhammad
Iqbal Mohmand submitted the
written reply of the Ministry
of Defence in the division
bench comprising Chief Justice
Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice
Waqar Ahmad Seth. During the
previous hearing the bench
had directed the DAG to explain
whether they had allowed the
US to carry out drone attacks in the country’s tribal areas.
The DAG told the bench there was no
secret deal between the Federal
Government and US and this
was the reason it had opposed
the drone strikes, taken up
the matter with the US Government
and passed resolution in the
National Assembly against
these attacks. He argued
that the drone strikes in
the tribal areas were in violation
of the country’s sovereignty
and international conventions
and the Government was even
ready to pursue the case in
the International Court of
Justice (ICJ).
To a query, he said the US started
the drone strikes during former
president Pervez Musharraf’s
rule and the court should
summon him and ask about any
verbal or written deal on
drone strikes with the US.
The court had already made
Musharraf a party in the petitions
filed against the drone strikes
and given 15 days to his lawyer
Mauzzam Butt to get power
of attorney from him to submit
his written reply about the
drone strikes. | 
