Islamabad, April 10 (RHC)-- A high court in Pakistan has ordered criminal charges against two CIA officials for a deadly drone strike in 2009. John Rizzo, the CIA’s former acting counsel, and Jonathan Bank, the agency’s ex-station chief, would face charges including murder, terrorism and conspiracy.

Bank fled Pakistan in 2010 after his cover was blown. Pakistani authorities had lobbied against the case, saying it could jeopardize ties with the United States. It will be up to police to formally file the charges.

The Pakistani court’s action follows a five-year campaign by Karim Khan, who lost his teenage son and brother in the 2009 attack. In a statement, Khan said: "[This is] a victory for all those innocent civilians killed in U.S.-led drone strikes."