Just days after taking power, Pakistan’s new government has lodged a protest with the U.S. and summoned a top American envoy to vent its frustration following a U.S. drone strike that intelligence officials say killed seven militants.
Friday night’s drone strike near the Afghan border came just two days after Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as prime minister. Mr Sharif has insisted the U.S. stop such attacks, saying they violate Pakistan’s sovereignty
The protest lodged Saturday indicates Mr Sharif will at least publicly take a tougher line on the matter than the preceding government. That government routinely condemned such strikes but was believed to have secretly supported at least some of them.
A government statement says U.S. charge d’affaires Richard Hoagland was summoned to the Foreign Office on Mr Sharif’s instructions.
