After returning from his anti-drone “peace march” to South Waziristan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Monday that the rally was a great opportunity for Pakistan to raise the issue of drone attacks on international level, however, the government and other parties had wasted the chance in order to protect their personal interests.
“The government machinery opposed us rather than cooperating with us on raising the issue of drone attacks on innocent people,” the PTI chief said while addressing a post-rally press conference in the federal capital. He said the government was not sincere with the people of Waziristan. He criticised the government for showing hypocrisy on the issue, and asked the rulers to stop lying to the people of Pakistan.
Defending his decision to return from Tank, the cricket legend-turned politician said that he took the decision to ensure the safety of PTI workers, rally participants and journalists. “Who would have been responsible if the caravan was hit by miscreants in the dark,” he said. He said that his march was stopped by the military because it was too late to enter South Waziristan.
When asked if he had cut the rally short after getting a telephone call from someone, Imran said that it was Nawaz Sharif’s practice to withdraw rallies on telephone calls. He referred to the long march by Nawaz Sharif when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief returned from Gujranwala, allegedly on a phone call.
FLAYING FAZL: Imran said that hurdles were created by Fazlur Rehman and the government to stop the march from proceeding towards Waziristan. He said that while foreign journalists and activists had come to Pakistan to protest against US drone strikes and to raise voice on international level, Fazlur Rehman was trying to scandalise their participation to secure his vested interests. He said that Fazl was a right-hand man of President Asif Ali Zardari, and was making fortune just like he did in Musharraf’s regime.
Govt lost chance to join voice against drones: Imran
