INT14
International/
Diplomacy/Defence
Pakistan calls for halt to US spy plane attacksIslamabad, Nov 20 Xinhua Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has urged a halt to missile strikes by US drones inside Pakistani territory.Kayani made the appeal while addressing the
military committee of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization NATO in
Brussels at the invitation of Admiral Giampaolo Di Paolo, chairman of the committee, according to a statement issued by the Pakistani army Wednesday. The statement came a few hours after a US drone fired missiles in Pakistan's
district of Bannu bordering
Afghanistan, killing at least five people.Pakistani officials said that the US has fired some 20 missiles in the tribal region since August.Kayani highlighted the need to reinforce Pakistan's efforts and operate in a coordinated manner within respective national boundaries, the statement said. "He urged a halt to unarmed combat aerial vehicle use within Pakistan's territory," it said.In his
address, Kayani apprised the NATO military committee of the overall
security situation in the region. --Xinhua177 Words20110919