After its second formal protest in the past month alone over the ever growing number of US drone strikes being launched in and around Pakistan’s tribal areas, Pakistan’s military appears to be taking the growing public disquiet over the attacks more seriously, and is aiming to enhance its capability to counter the persistent overflights of the drones through force of arms.

Today, they successfully tested a short-range surface-to-air missile capable of downing the drones as part of a broader military exercise in central Punjab for the Army Air Defence. Chief of Army Staff General Parvez Kayani also briefed Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani over the growing issue of drone strikes.

Though they continue to deny it, Pakistan is reported to have a “tacit agreement” with the United States about the drone strikes, which according to the Washington Post amounts to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy designed to keep the Pakistani government from taking the domestic blame for the repeated US strikes.

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