Pakistani Drone Misses Target And Kills 4 Of Its Own Minor Citizens, Govt Silent
A Pakistan Army drone strike in North Waziristan killed four children and injured others, sparking public outrage and political condemnation.
After a ceasefire with India, the Pakistan Army has now turned its weapons inwards, targeting its own civilians. A midnight drone strike on Monday by the Pakistan Army in the Hormuz village of North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed four innocent children and injured at least five others.
As per Pakistani media, the strike, reportedly aimed at the Pakistani Taliban, a group banned by Pakistan, landed in a densely populated residential area. Instead of eliminating militants, the attack took the lives of women and children, raising serious questions about the army's intent and precision. The outcome of the strike reflects a reckless disregard for civilian lives, especially in Pashtun-dominated regions.
Public outrage erupted across Pakistan after the incident. Grieving families protested outside the Mir Ali Cantonment Gate, displaying the lifeless bodies of the children and directly accusing the military of targeting ordinary citizens. In Peshawar, students took to the streets, demanding an immediate end to drone strikes in Pashtun areas and calling for accountability from the army and the government.
Political Backlash Over Drone Attack
The political backlash has also been severe. Ali Amin Khan, a parliamentarian from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), condemned the strike and accused the military of treating Pashtun lives as expendable. "If this drone attack had taken place in Lahore or Gujranwala, would the reaction have been the same? For this government, Pashtun blood is cheap. Shame on such a state," he said. Zartaz Gul, another Opposition MP, criticised the current government's silence. "When our party [PTI] was in power, our drone policy was clear — no Pakistani civilian should die. But now, we are seeing heartbreaking images from North Waziristan," she said.
Despite growing public and political pressure, the Pakistani government and military have remained completely silent. No official statement has been issued, and neither the Defence Minister's Office nor the military's PR wing (ISPR) has taken responsibility nor cited any accountability for the attacks. Shockingly, when Pakistani journalists questioned Defence Minister Khawaja Asif about the killings, he refused to answer and walked away in silence.
This isn't new, though. The Pakistan Army has a well-documented history of targeting civilian areas, both across the border and within its own country. During the recent four-day conflict with India, Pakistan used drones and missiles to target Indian residential zones. However, India's robust air defence systems neutralised the threats in time. Pakistan later falsely claimed that its forces "never target civilians".
But the truth has now come up within Pakistan itself. Just days before the Hormuz tragedy, on May 15, the Pakistan Army conducted another drone strike in Sarghodha Tehsil, North Waziristan, injuring three minor girls.
Pakistan's military establishment, while long held responsible for sheltering terrorists and suppressing ethnic minorities, now stands exposed before its own citizens.
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