Amnesty urges US to investigate killing of Paklistani civilians by drones

It is concerned that the attacks may have resulted in unlawful killings that constitute illegal executions or war crimes, even though the US insists the strikes are legal.

“We cannot find any justification for these killings. There are genuine threats to the USA and its allies in the region, and drone strikes may be lawful in some circumstances,” said Mustafa Qadri, Amnesty International’s Pakistan researcher.

“But it is hard to believe that a group of labourers, or an elderly woman surrounded by her grandchildren, were endangering anyone at all, let alone posing an imminent threat to the United States.”

Amnesty called on the US to comply with its obligations under international law by investigating the killings documented in the report and providing victims with “full reparation”.

The US carried out its first drone strike in Pakistan in 2004 and has launched nearly 350 more since, most in North Waziristan, a major militant sanctuary near the Afghan border. President Barack Obama significantly increased attacks when he took office in 2009, and the number peaked the following year with over 100 strikes. The frequency has steadily dropped since, partly because of growing tension between Pakistan and the US There have only been around two dozen strikes so far this year.

Pakistani officials regularly denounce the attacks in public as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, but senior members of the government and the military are known to have supported them in the past.

“Amnesty International is also extremely concerned about the failure of the Pakistani authorities to protect and enforce the rights of victims of drone strikes,” said the report.

“Pakistan has a duty to independently and impartially investigate all drone strikes in the country and ensure access to justice and reparation for victims of violations.”