Civil society asks US to tender apology

Hundreds of people from various walks of life on Thursday held a rally against the NATO for the attack on Pakistani soldiers in Mohmand Agency, which resulted in the martyrdom of 24 troops. A large number of traders, lawyers, transporters, students, employees of CDA and civil society activists participated in the rally, which started form Faisal Flyover and culminated in front of the Parliament House. The protesters chanted slogans against the United States, NATO forces and the government for, what they said, its foreign policy failure. While holding national flags, they expressed their unconditional support to the army. The protestors said they were ready to give any kind of sacrifice to defend their soil against any American aggression.
Addressing the protesters, Joint Action Committee Chairman Munawar Mughal asked the rulers to cut the NATO supply line permanently and reiterated the demand of forcing foreign forces to evacuate Shamsi, Shahbaz and other airbases. Terming the NATO air strike as the worst breach of country’s sovereignty, he said the attack could have been averted if the government had responded strongly to such violations in the past and come out of the ranks of the US allies. Condemning the government policy towards the US, he said, “No aid from America but only trade on the basis of equality with them.” He said it was a high time for Pakistan to say ‘no’ to every kind of cooperation with the US and demanded the military leadership to give a befitting response to any attack on the country’s sovereignty.
Representatives of traders, transporters and lawyers including Haroon-ur-Rasheed, Tikka Khan, Azeem Bajwa, Ajmal Baloch, Salahuddin Awan and others also spoke. They expressed the resolve that they were united together to defend Pakistan’s sovereignty against any aggression.
The protestors asked America to stop drone attacks and warned of its consequences. They said temporary measures by the government would serve no purpose, adding that it must announce permanent disassociation from the war against terror. They asked the government to safeguard national interests instead of taking care of interests of external powers.
The Joint Action Committee unanimously passed a memorandum addressing US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter. In the document, they strongly condemned the NATO forces attack. “It’s not less than proclamation of war lodged by the USA-led NATO forces on a nation and country,” the memorandum said.
“We the Pakistanis have given lot of sacrifices in war on terrorism,” it said, adding that Pakistan’s economy had also been destroyed in the process.
“We also consider drone attacks as an attack on our sovereignty, since thousands of innocent Pakistanis have been martyred in these attacks.”
“These attacks are no more acceptable to the nation,” they remarked, adding, “We extend full support to Pakistan Army and the decisions taken by the army to defend the frontiers of Pakistan.”
The memorandum stated that the lawyers and all the other segments of the society demanded the US-led NATO forces and their respective countries to tender apology for the attack on Pakistan soil and loss of its soldiers.
Later, the protestors tried to march towards the US embassy to register their protest but they were stopped by the security forces when they reached the Diplomatic Enclave. The security forces only allowed Munawar Mughal, Chaudhry Ashraf and Chaudhry Yaseen to record their charter of demand to the embassy representatives.