ISLAMABAD, April 4, IRNA – Pakistan’s rights commission Thursday said that the United States has carried out 48 drone attacks in the country’s tribal regions in 2012.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in its annual report released in Islamabad said that the U.S. had conducted 74 strikes in 2011.
The report has strongly condemned drone attacks and called upon the U.S. to stop these attacks.
The CIA-controlled drone campaign is highly controversial in Pakistan, however, Washington has ruled out any change in the policy.
Pakistan publicly condemns the drone attacks, describing it against the country's sovereignty and counterproductive in its campaign against the militants.
The U.S. says drones target the Taliban and al-Qaeda militants, who they say are hiding in Pakistan's tribal regions along the border with Afghnaistan.
Explaining silent features of the report‚ Secretary General of the Commission, I. A. Rehman, said that 1577 incidents of terrorism took place in the country last year as a result of which 2055 people were killed and 3822 injured.
A total of 121 schools were destroyed by the militants in the tribal regions and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
He said 2284 people were killed in the port city of Karachi last year in sectarian‚ linguistic and politics related incidents of violence.
According to the report‚ at least 14 journalists were killed in different areas of the country last year.
About the Afghan refugees, the report adds that 83000 Afghan refugees were repatriated to their motherland last year. However‚ 2.6 million Afghan refugees are still living in Pakistan.
Answering a question‚ the human rights activist‚ Asma Jehangir said that awareness about human rights has enhanced during the last few years.
