Pak legislators call for expulsion of US envoy
The unanimous resolution by the provincial assembly was unlikely to move the federal government to accept such a demand.
The lawmakers also condemned the Jan. 13 attack on three houses in the village of Damadola near the Afghan border and demanded an apology from the United States.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Pakistani and US officials have said the attack targeted a gathering of al-Qaeda leaders but Pakistan's prime minister disputed that account.
"If you just reflect on what happened, first, we heard that there was a dinner meeting with all the seniors," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said in an interview that aired Sunday on CNN. "I think that's a bizarre thought, because these people don't get together for dinner in a terrain or environment like that."
"The area does see movement of people from across the border. But we have not found one body or one shred of evidence that these people were there," Aziz said, adding that Washington failed to inform Pakistani officials of the airstrike in advance.
The assault killed 13 villagers, including women and children, causing widespread outrage in the Islamic nation of 150 million. It has also produced friction between Washington and Islamabad, a key ally in the war on terror.
On Monday, dozens of Islamic extremists and opposition leaders left the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for the northwestern city of Peshawar. From there they plan to travel to the Bajur tribal region, which includes Damadola, to protest the strike.
"We are going to Bajur to condemn the American attack that killed innocent people," said Pir Sabir Shah, a provincial opposition leader.
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