UN Says U.S. Drones Violate Pakistan's Sovereignty

A U.S. Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile sits on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport.

The head of a United Nations team tasked with investigating casualties from U.S. drone strikes has concluded that the attacks violate Pakistan's sovereignty.

The UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism, Ben Emmerson, said in a statement on March 14 that Islamabad made it clear to him it does not approve of the strikes.

Emmerson said Pakistani officials had told him they confirm at least 400 civilian deaths by drone attacks.

Imtiaz Gul, a Pakistani analyst helping Emmerson's team, said he had given the UN's special rapporteur case studies of 25 drone strikes that caused civilian deaths.

Emmerson's statement was released after a three-day visit to Pakistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly condemned the drone strikes, criticizing them as a violation of sovereignty.

U.S. officials, however, say Pakistan secretly consents to the strikes.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP