Imran says Waziristan people to provide security as march crosses

Over 1,000 people who had on Saturday departed from Rawalpindi and Islamabad under the leadership of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for the peace march toward South Waziristan had just left Talagang, with Rikhi as its next stop.
Moreover, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had decided to provide security to the march until its stay in Tank.
Earlier Saturday, the march had left Islamabad for the anti-drone march towards the northwestern tribal region.
Speaking to media representatives prior to departing for South Waziristan’s Kotkai town, Khan said the people of South Waziristan would provide security to the peace rally.
The PTI chief said he was leading the march for peace against US drone strikes and that his party’s rally should not be stopped from proceeding.
Moreover, at least 30 anti-drone campaigners from the United States were taking part in the march which began from Islamabad Saturday morning.
Khan said the government wanted to stop the peace rally but the people of South Waziristan were going to provide security to it.
He said the government’s policy on US drone attacks was dubious and that Interior Minister Rehman Malik was trying to scare people away from participating in the rally.
Khan said attempts were being made to sabotage the march, adding that, the rally was only aiming for peace and he had no intention of initiating a fight with any group.
The PTI chief said the Taliban had no intention of attacking the rally.
At the Balkasar interchange near Chakwal, hundreds of supporters carrying green and red PTI banners gathered in hot sunshine to welcome Khan and the convoy of around 100 jeeps, buses and cars.
Party workers in “Cornered Tigers” T-shirts — a reference to Khan’s inspirational talk to Pakistan before their 1992 World Cup victory — formed a human chain round his 4×4 to clear a path through a scrum of media and well-wishers.
Akhtar Syal, 63, from Sarghoda in Punjab, told AFP he had joined the protest because drones were destroying lives.
“It is a great thing that Imran Khan has raised his voice against it, so I am going to make his voice stronger and join him in this noble cause,” he said.