PESHAWAR – A large number of tribesmen on Friday staged a rally in Miranshah in a bid to force the US to end drone attacks in the tribal belt.
Chanting slogans against the US, the government and what they called pro-American politicians, the protesters reached the city from the surrounding areas in large processions. They held placards and banners inscribed with their demand for “ending drone attacks” in the Tribal Areas.
Maulvi Gul Behram, Maulana Mohammad Kalim, Haji Azmat Ullah, Malik Noor Mohammad Dawar, Malik Azmat Ullah and others addressed the protesters.
While denouncing the US drone attacks in the Tribal Areas, the speakers claimed that “the strikes were killing innocent people”. They called such attacks violation of the sovereignty of the country and demanded the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the attacks. They also urged politicians, particularly leaders of religious parties, to get united against “the US aggression against Pakistan”.
During the protest, scores of militants equipped with modern weapons were seen in the area.
However, it couldn’t be ascertained whether the militants had arranged the protest or had merely extended support to the “unknown organisers”. All bazaars and shopping centres remained closed during the protest and traffic on roads also remained suspended.
