ISLAMABAD: Formally taking oath as a member of the National Assembly, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday urged the government and military leaders to build a strategy to halt US drone attacks on Pakistani soil.
The 60-year-old was unable to take the oath with other lawmakers on June 1 as he was undergoing treatment for serious back injuries suffered in a fall at an election rally shortly before polling day.
Khan delivered a wide-ranging first speech in parliament, setting out his policies and intention of holding the new government to account from the opposition benches.
Khan said a comprehensive approach was needed which also involves the army chief.
“The prime minister, army chief and chief ministers should sit together and form a policy on drone attacks,” Khan told parliament.
“We have to make this war our war, and it cannot become our own war unless we stop drone attacks.”
Khan said he was not in favour of shooting down drones, as some in his own party have urged, but called for a more concerted diplomatic effort.
“First of all we should go to the UN Security Council and raise the issue there,” he said.
Khan said policies would have to be adopted collectively to tackle the national issues, adding that terrorism could not be eliminated unless it was not dealt with at the root level.
Moreover, Khan was of the view that policies adopted to deal with terrorism were hypocritical from the very start, adding that the war was fought based on lies.
“Due to drone attacks on our territory, we have become associated with the US war and are referred as their agents”, the PTI chief said.
Khan said nations could not prosper without access to a fair justice system. He added that majority of the problems in Pakistan were due to injustices prevailing in society.
The PTI chief also opposed the proposed increase in taxes announced in the recent federal budget, saying that it would only lead to more problems.