Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) peace march against drone attacks in the Tribal Areas may not proceed beyond Dera Ismail Khan or Tank, as the South Waziristan political administration has refused to issue a permit for holding the rally inside the troubled agency.
The government claims the Taliban plan to attack the rally and news channels broadcast footages of shipping containers closing the road into South Waziristan on Saturday night.
The PTI rally, led by party chief Imran Khan, arrived in Dera Ismail Khan at night amid a trumpeting welcome. Drumbeats and woodwind chimes laced the air as a turban-clad Khan walked through a shower of rose petals to meet tribal elders gathered to welcome him.
The rally participants spent the night at Ameen Model Farm in Hathala Camp, where a tent city was set up for the purpose.
Khan is accompanied by around 30 US campaigners from the group Code Pink and the British head of legal lobby organisation Reprieve, Clive Stafford Smith. The rally aims to leave for South Waziristan today (Sunday).
Addressing participants at Hathala, Khan said the procession was a peaceful demonstration and nobody should raise any objection to it.
He said he did not fear the Taliban nor had they threatened him, adding that he would try his best to reach Kotkai in South Waziristan for staging a rally there.
Khan said if stopped, he would talk to the civil administration to gain access to Kotkai.
The PTI chief said it was an excellent opportunity to seek solution to the eight-year war imposed on the Tribal Areas, adding that he would seek suggestions from tribal chiefs in South Waziristan on ways to deal with terrorism, as they were the real stakeholders.
He said the rally had made foreign media take notice of the illegal US drone programme.
Khan said the government had deployed various tactics to fail his march, but the people had discarded bogus threats of suicide bombing by turning up and joining the march.
At a brief stop outside Mianwali earlier, Khan’s hometown, the PTI chief addressed around 5,000 supporters, condemning “the hypocrisy of the government, which tried its best to make this march fail”.
“They are saying the Taliban have sent nine suicide attackers. This march will not stop even if (President Asif Ali) Zardari sends even a 100 suicide attackers,” Khan said.
The PTI had planned to hold its rally in South Waziristan’s Kotkai town; however, the procession is unlikely to make it beyond DI Khan or Tank at the most.
According to sources in FATA Secretariat, the rally may not be allowed to advance further owing to non-conducive circumstances in the violence-hit area.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was also not happy with the peace march, with Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain saying Khan would endanger his life and of others through the march.
The provincial government also raised objection to over 100 foreign media personnel and human rights activists travelling with Khan, as they did not obtain NOCs to enter DI Khan or SWA.
The KP Home Department has already said that no foreigners would be allowed entry without proper permits.
Earlier in the day, the historical PTI peace rally kicked off for Waziristan from Islamabad to stage a protest against US drone strikes in the Tribal Areas that have allegedly killed hundreds of innocent Pakistanis along with a few terrorists.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan on Friday denied reports the militant organisation had assured a safe-passage to the PTI peace march through their tribal stronghold. Kotkai is notorious as the place where Taliban commander Qari Hussain, said to have been killed in a drone strike in 2010, used to train suicide bombers for the Taliban who have killed thousands in Pakistan since 2007. Kifayetullah, the commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan, said it was “out of the question” that the protesters entered Waziristan. “Security will be provided to the rally but roads beyond Dera Ismail Khan will be blocked because there are threats of IED, sniper and bomb attacks. We have to protect the lives of everyone,” he told a foreign news agency.
a nightmare for Noonies, this day is!!. 😀
Is this guy going to ride in the car while others walk??? Not much of a march is it then.
you are a no hope !!!!
only publicity value to imran.drones will continue with the consent of zardari government.real drone is zardari whom imran never attacks
you have been misinformed tremendously, check out insaf.pk lots of articles and videos for you to get the right information
Khan shaib is in full mood of showing his all talent for such attacks which were started in 2004 when khan shaihb adored Musharraf and his team,He himself proving that at that time he had no vision to see the consequences of such attacks on these tribal people but now when mess has spread in 9 years he started campaign against this atrocity which were legally allowed by that govt when he was part of it
Ok lets give him benefit of doubt that his political vision got awakened after some age when his loved Jew wife left him and now his sons are bringing up in typical British culture whom he all time criticized asare masters of his political rivals.His blame game toward Zardari and ignoring the role of military toward these drones are quite funny and showing his real intentions.He was unaware of history of such useless march which should be direction to GHQ only so for reviving his knowledge of historical marches I think Saleem safi presented him excellent record and good suggestions as he is part of that area where khan shaib want to install his bravery flags. http://jang.com.pk/jang/oct2012-daily/06-10-2012/…
your comment is not worth a second thought .
You are guest and as per my values one should respect guests as per his/her standard.Surely there is no worth of second thought to it as people like you and IK never given priority thought or preemptive thoughts for such actions started since 2004.
you are not worth a second thought.
oh sure I deserve this but why are you following with up 3rd 4th or 5th thoughts
I can't stand IK bashing ,even if is from someone with a pretty name like yours.
why you cant bear bashing of IK ???
Did I say anything wrong or saying lies against him.Face the reality and say you love him with all his past blunders then it would be ok for me
I again say to all his lovers that march should start or end from Gate 2 of GHQ the right place to mark this protest ok this is my request to all PTI followers that you are wasting huge money on fuel, transportation lodging food etc but you are leaving behind your problem area in mid of Rawalpindi
just like that Problem child in Baghal(armpit) and dhondara shear main.
We love you khan. We will vote for you to bring a real change in pakistan, Inshallah, and get rid of looters like Zardari and nawaz shareef.
a nightmare for Noonies, this day is!!. 😀
Reality sucks, your clown leaders are embarrassed they can't lead a march to Waziristan or even Peshawar, the very thought of it makes them wet their pants- don't worry they will be history soon. end of discussion
@ Nazia
Oh its me aor about my clown leaders
by the way my clown leaders are meant to make their nation happy and for foreign people they are symbol of richness or health of country.You see Shairf, Altaf and specially Zardari whom all health disorders vanished when he was picked as PPP leader after death of his beloved wife .Forget about them I have just given you reference of saleem safi article how he given you chronology of such useless marches that had no influenced on any body just to bother people.No body is answering me that why that march was not started or end from GHQ??
IK made so called hisotroical rally in Quetta or Karachi where law and order situation are more worst than wazirastan.Did it show any sign of improvement
Altaf jigga of Karachi was/ is doing routine peace speeches and his clowns did lot of sch marches but Karachi situation each day presented more deadbodies and worst condtions so these are jsut poltical stunts.
You know why long march of judiciary was halted by Kiayni himself as throughout in Rwp Islamabad area, army personals have never heard such an abusive language which were heard at that time to them.Secondly he was securing NRO made Zardari whom reign might toppled by this long march after reaching Islamabad so it was halted on its start
Again drone attacks key is in hands of GHQ controller when they open the gate then this drone hits the target so come to point instead of speaking Aian bian shian.
that was a great peace march
that was a great peace march
that was a great peace march
Slm
Slm
Something is just horribly wrong when there is this much conflict between countrymen. It'd probably take an army of diplomats and psychiatrists to sort this mess of a country out.
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