Casualties in US drone strikes

Pakistan’s Ministry of Defense recently revealed official data on the US drone strikes; it claims that approximately 2000 suspected terrorists have been killed in 317 drone strikes and   only 67 innocent people have died as collateral damage .This data endorses the US stance that drone strikes have been ‘precise’ and highly ‘successful’. However, it does not seem to represent the real situation on ground and appears contradictory to Pakistan’s previous stance – that these drone strikes are counterproductive and harmful for Pakistan’s counter terrorism efforts.The Ministry of Defense’s given data also seems unrealistic as the drone strikes have killed more innocent persons than “suspected terrorists”. The use of word “suspected” in itself is evidence of this, as the Ministry itself is not certain of the status of their linkage with terrorism. Independent sources and local inhabitants also differ with the official US and Pakistani figures and data.

The issue of drone strikes is real and must come to an end, as it is in fact negatively effecting the Pakistan’s ongoing counter terrorism efforts as well as the peace talks between Pakistan and the Taliban.