Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday vowed that NATO supplies would remain suspended until an end to drone strikes.
Addressing a protest rally in Peshawar, “We can and we will block NATO supplies.”
The PTI leader said that peace cannot be attained until the US drone strikes are stopped.
“For the first time in the history of Pakistan, a democratic government along with all other parties had agreed that the time for war has ended, and it is time for dialogue,” Imran said, adding that the drone strike which killed Hakimullah Mehsud sabotaged the peace process.
Imran Khan said that there could be no peace in Pakistan until the cessation of missile attacks. “Peace was about to return to Pakistan and all parties had a consensus to initiate peace talks,” he said.
He said that his party had made two pre-elections commitments about the eradication of corruption and restoration of peace.
“It happened for the first time in the history of Pakistan that we weakened our coalition government and did not make any compromise on corruption,” he said, referring to recent split with the Qaumi Watan Party.
“We cannot go to UN Security Council or shoot down missiles. But our provincial government can at least block NATO supplies.”
Khan said that lives of six million people were ruined by sending troops in the tribal areas by a dictator at the behest of the US.
“It is defining moment for the Pakistani nation to decide about the country’s fate,” Khan emphasized.
“I ask Mian Nawaz Sharif whether he will continue his dual policies or take a firm stand like a leader.”
“For God’s sake, don’t change your policy for the sake of dollars,” he added.
The prime minister should clearly tell the US that there is a difference between friendship and slavery, he demanded.
He said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet should also block the NATO supplies.
“We cannot become a nation by begging and bowing down to foreign powers. I called upon Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan to become one nation.”
“We should educate our people to become one nation. God willing, we will awaken the whole nation.”
“Our protest will continue until the US ends missile attacks,” he announced.
The rally was attended by thousands of workers of the PTI, the JI and the Awami Jamhoori Ittehad. Besides Imran Khan, PTI’s Javed Hashmi, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen, Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid and JI’s Liaqat Baluch were prominent among prominent speakers.
Baluch announced that they were going for a similar rally in Lahore on December 9. He also said that they would go for holding protest rallies at Karachi.
The speakers have expressed sever resentment over policies of the federal government. Even some of them have made serious corruption allegations against the government. The protesters were dispersed peacefully after listening speeches of their leaders. Strength of participants was ranging from 15,000 to 20,000. Whereas the PTI leaders have claimed assembling from 150,000 t0 200,000 protesters in Peshawar.
