Hague sued over Pakistan drone attacks
Man killed by drone missile while at council of elders meeting in
northwest Pakistan:
Immunity clause does not apply as Pakistan is not involved in
‘international armed conflict’:
A British law firm said on yesterday it was to sue Foreign Secretary
William Hague on behalf of a Pakistani man, over claims that British
intelligence was used to assist US drone attacks. London-based Leigh Day
and Co confirmed they would issue formal proceedings at Britain’s High
Court on behalf of Noor Khan, whose father was killed by a US strike in
Pakistan. Lawyers will claim that civilian intelligence officers who
pass on intelligence to the US are not “lawful combatants”, therefore
cannot claim immunity from criminal law and could be liable as
“secondary parties to murder”.
They will also argue that the immunity clause does not apply as
Pakistan is not currently involved in an “international armed conflict”.
"There is credible, unchallenged evidence that (Hague) is operating a
policy of passing intelligence to officials or agents of the US
government and that he considers such a policy to be in 'strict
accordance' with the law," Richard Stein, head of human rights at Leigh
Day, said in a statement. "If this is the case, the Secretary of State
has misunderstood one or more of the principles of international law
governing immunity for those involved in armed attacks on behalf of a
state." Britain's Foreign Office said it would not comment on legal or
intelligence matters.
Khan says his father, Malik Daud, was killed by a drone missile while
at a council of elders meeting in northwest Pakistan.
Drone attacks have become a key feature of US President Barack
Obama's fight against terrorism in Pakistan, but many inhabitants are
deeply unhappy about the civilian death toll incurred in the raids. AFP
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