Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is all set to stage a sit-in against drone attacks carried out by the United States, with Sunni Tehreek (ST) announcing its full support to the PTI for a protest that will start in the evening today and will continue till Sunday evening.
The PTI organisers have chosen the Native Jetty Bridge as the venue for their sit-in, given its proximity to the port. Supply of NATO goods, however, is bound to be not affected due to timing of the sit-in since there would be no port activity from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.
Khan, speaking at a press conference at his residence soon after his arrival in the city, claimed that his party would continue to stage sit-ins against drone attacks, and that the protest in Karachi would prove to an important linkage in this regard.
The PTI chief said that the only solution to problems the country was facing was midterm elections, as according to him, a democratic government does not exist in the country. He said that the government was pursuing the policies of the United States, which has led the country towards slavery. He claimed that only a “real” democratic government could dare to ask the US to stop these drone attacks.
Khan argued that people wanted democracy for their independence and not to live under the US’ enslavement. “It would be better to live in India than live in a country where people do not feel free,” he said, adding that people do not need such democracy. The PTI chief argued that the government has not even ordered an inquiry into continued drone attacks to ascertain how many people have been killed or injured.
The government has also not provided any assistance to drone victims, he added. He also slated the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Punjab, saying that it was also involved in freeing Raymond Davis. Later in the day, Khan called on ST chief Maulana Sarwat Ejaz and other leaders of the party, who subsequently announced their support for the sit-in.
Meanwhile according to Keamari SP Tariq Mughal, the organisers of the sit-in have been given permission on the condition that no routine traffic will be disturbed, and that the protest will be restricted to its agreed upon limits. Thousands of people are expected to attend the sit-in, and therefore, the use of force against them would be out of question, he told media personnel.
Imran arrives to lead today’s PTI sit-in against drone attacks
