Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan with party leaders at press conference. Source: PTI
Imran announced this at a press conference in Lahore after a core committee meeting of the PTI.
"The Taliban held only one condition for the peace talks and that was that drone attacks must end. But just before the talks began we saw this sabotage take place," said the PTI chief, emphasising that the attack on Mehsud was part of a greater plot to derail the peace process in Pakistan.
Accompanied by K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, and other senior PTI leaders, Imran explained that their decision to block Nato supplies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was well within legal means available. He said that the recourse of blocking supplies had been approved by the Peshawar High Court in their decision on drone strikes earlier in the year where it had called on the government to do all it can to stop the strikes, including approaching the United Nations on the issue.
"We will forward a resolution in the Sindh Assembly, where we have representation, to stop the flow of Nato supplies and will also raise the issue in the National Assembly," he stated.
As for the Punjab Assembly, the issue will be raised by PTI's Mehmood Rashid.
The entire nation - including the political parties - needs to unite to turn things around in the country, emphasised Imran.
"There should be no doubts left about who does not want peace in the country," he said in the wake of the drone strike, while also sharing his suspicions about the real masterminds behind the recent attack on a church in Peshawar, for which the TTP denied any involvement.
Shortly after meeting with the media, the PTI issued a press release on its website stating: "We call for an immediate All Parties Conference which must support our decision of stopping NATO supplies, given the disruption of the dialogue process."
COMMENTS (124)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Pakistan is a unique country, where murderers of innocent Pakistani citizens can find vociferous support from its politicians!! In other countries such politicians will be laughed out of the country.
IK never made half as much noise when an innocent girl was shot in the head.
look at the picture and say "It is a party of Youngsters"....... seems like joking....
get you head straight Why block .. why not charge 5000 extra dol+lar per container.
And one thing I find very funny on ET is that whenever there is an article regarding IK, we have the highest number of comments, this itself speaks of the popularity of the man (and at the same time the pinch that status queue forces feel from him). And the funniest part, every time there is at least one guy crying like this “I voted for PTI, Oh my God what have I done, I was such a fool, I feel so guilty and bla bla bla’. I can bet a million dollars that 90% of people who make such comments never actually voted for him and even if they did, they have become highly insignificant.
Dear IK !
Do it know as it should not be just the press conference statement its your province with ur own CM ,it should happen that will prove ur will against the wrongs no matter u face hurdles from within or forces we all stand by you , and i know it is not going to happen its only just the statement
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
You are 100% right Naeem Khan. I dont know why the pea-brain people does not understands or is it that they understand but they just want to oppose IK. IK is doing the right thing. KPK is the most affected province. 70% of its Industry is shut down coz of the the security situation and all the elite moved from there and living in Islamabad. How can a Province progress? For the 9 yrs we are fighting the talibans and we could not control it 100%. Even the Nato, the West and the US & A forces were fighting for 10yrs and not successful. Now we want the option of peace so that we can progress and live in peace. Congrats Imran. Let the trolls say whatever they say, you fulfull your vision.
Entire Pakistan love u Imran... U r our last Hope
We r with u Imran, it the matter of Pakistani Prestige Go ahead
@Urva Siddiqui: Billions of dollars is to be spent on moving supplies thru Pakistan. Every one is trying to get part of the pie
US wants to get out of Afghan region very fast.
And at this crucial juncture, just after receiving some 2 billions from US, Khan wants to bite the hand that feeds him.
For long, we've been testing the patience of Obama. He has wavered one way and other in Syrian affair. The same restraint Obama may not show for Pak considering that the country does not have good diplomatic support in the global arena (barring a token yelp from China maybe.)
Popcorn time, folks !!
To all trolls of ITTTPK; a) He promised to eliminate corruption in 90 days --- Even after the lapse of 156 days and with a large-size cabinet, KPK is still plagued with corruption! b) He promised to end family politics when comes to power--- His Chief Minister Pervez Khattak got 3 ladies of his family "elected" against reserved seats.
c) He promised to hold local body elections in 90 days --- There are no signs of local body elections during the calendar year 2013. Still dilly-dallying!! . . You fooled me once, it's your fault; You fooled me twice, it's my fault; and when You fooled me thrice, you are definitely a clueless PTI Troll !!
@farhan: @Abbas: @Zaida P: @Ch. Allah Daad: @Wahas Ahmed: @malik:
are you guys out of your mind. why no one is criticizing to the past governments and ones who actually created them. get a life people let him clean the mess which they have created in KPK and how can you judge him in less than six months and why no one is criticizing the last government who looted Pakistan. you people are the real enemies of Pakistan by supporting the real corrupt people.
IK we support you for this cause. No more intervention required by any militant non militant group.
great work IK
ok!!! Dont stop Neto so there will be no peace talks with Taliban and get other 50000 innocent Pakistanis murdered by talibans in coming years. God forbid!
@Ch. Allah Daad: ok then dont go into peace talks with Taliban and get other 50000 innocent Pakistanis murdered by talibans.
@Zulfikar: someone needs a reality check
"We will block flow of Nato supplies through K-P: Imran Khan:" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pakistani policians need to think like Pakistanis. Either ' We will block flow of Nato supplies through Pakistan' OR NOT.
The talent of being Nawaz Sharif +++++++++++++++++++++++ Always be on a flight when political upheavals take place. Eliminates sharing his shallow thought process.
@Shahid: means the brave pakhtuns are only a myth as everyone already knows...and also meaning that our army is so weak and cowardly that they cannot even handle a ragtag bunch of thugs.
@M. Emad: May Almighty give you insight. why Imran is angry? hakimullah is killed but not taliban. these terrorists have already chosen another leader. who will they hurt in response???? innocent peoples! taliban will kill innocent people and demand weak pak govt to take steps against america and more distruction will hapen. US always plays games.
Come on I.K. block the NATO supplies and become a marde-momin, would love to see the US reaction :)
@Ch. Allah Daad: Pay attention to what Ch. Nisar is saying also.
@khalid: you realy want to know their secret? It is ver simple, this time they had the right mobile phone number of one of the people from the group. This enables them for surveillance as well as the coordinates for the drone!
Rex Minor
@Rex Minor: @Atif I. Malik: I am glad someone over here understands the importance of civilians and is not encouraging USA to bomb all the way. If we think profoundly, a breach of a country's sovereignty is not different than stripping down the apparel of someone. Most of the times, things get only worst than they are after this has happened. So called liberals/anti-taliban/anti-mullah etc. fail to understand that USA will not stop at Pak-Afghan border/Waziristan if not stopped. Sooner or later they will reach the capitals. Look what happened in Quetta! Make no mistake my brethren in understanding the enemy. Hakimullah is just tip of the iceberg. One should not, under any circumstance, rule out the fact that he knew things that USA didn't want to be exposed. For those who think that USA is good to its friends: 1. Saddam was brought to power by USA. 2. Gaddafi's dictatorship was supported by USA all the way till he stopped complying to orders from white house. 3. Haqqani and the former American president remained very close during the time when Afghanistan was resisting the Russian invasion. Look what happened to them. This will be our fate if we don't understand and identify the real enemy.
@Zalmai: "....IK is no friend of the Pashtun people, he is just another politician being used by the establishment and the clerics for sloganeering to rile up Pashtuns and cause further death and destruction in Pashtun territories. Wake up Pashtun people!" . Once a journalist from Pakistan stationed in Delhi was asked to visit Dacca to get an interview from IK while was as leading as a captain. The reporter said when he(the reporter) trying to exchange a few pleasantries in Pashto the result was zilch. . The reporter said blankly, IK was not a Pashtun.
@Urva Siddiqui: Wake up from your dreams. A nation that begs cannot do anything. Jaihind
@Sultan: - you fear TTP & fear can not be overcome by surrendering ( better named as peace talk). Jo dar gaya woh mar gaya ( you are already one)
@The Failed Rebel: And of course you can give us PROOF that "the Extreme Taliban" is funded by USA!!! NOT!
@ABKhan:
My beloved PM and leader is not some dimwit ex-cricketer who was launched on the back of big money of the Goldsmiths to carry out the Jewish agenda in Pakistan of creating unrest in our homeland through whatever means and rhetoric necessary.
My PM is a seasoned politician and campaigner and know his and his country's limitations well enough. Unless and until we don't stand up and clean up our own mess, we won't even be remotely capable of stopping any form of logistics supply line. Besides, our PM is not some schmuck whose only mission in life is to yap senselessly just for the sake of reigniting the faltering moral of the trolls and personality cult worshipers.
How did Americans "locate" and killed Hakimullah Mehsud just "one" day before peace talks. Clearly Americans sabotaging peace talks.
@Atif I. Malik:
You reckon that they are 5th columnists? They lament and complain against everything and everyone, keep themselves preoccupied with the past and propose no soultions for the problems of the country.
Rex Minor
@Hassan: He never had anything which traslates into intellect or common sense to lose - tell me have you read ever a single sensible utterance from IK? Each statement of his makes one shudder - Pakistan deserves better. The governance in KPK is a good example of his utter ignorance and irresponsible ways fueled with narcissism for good measure.....
@Allah Rakha:
Why not open an container and find out what is in the container, and how come they are not using the central Asian route?
Rex Minor
@Kohestani:
Do you realy mean what you wrote? You lprefer to talk to yourself, a monologue not a dialogue. Why not confront the Talibans yourself and ask them to lay down their arms? You do not appedar to be Pashtun from KPK if you expect any and I say any Pashtun to lay on his arms.
Rex Minor
Congratulations to Mr. Drone Khan, Ch. NIsar and th whole lot of confused and frightened people of a would-be Islami Emirtates of Pakistan! Congratulation to all of you on finding a new Shaheed e Pakistan, the one and only Hakim Ullah Mehsood. Lets seek blessing for his soul because we deserve it.
It completely beats me as to how much tears Mr. Khan is shedding for a man who has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands. Yet another drama unfolding from the biggest dramatis personae in Pakistani politics in modern times. Go on! Block the supplies. Everyone is going to enjoy another drama. Let's see how long the supplies blockade lasts, if at all it happens. Looks like Mr. Khan has forgotten that the treasury is empty and is utterly dependent on the doles.
@Ch. Allah Daad: what is stance of your party?
US, Europe and entire West should ban IK and any Insafians from entering their country. They all should declare PTI an organization that supports terrorist groups, terrorist groups that have been banned by UN itself. US, UK and all countries in Europe should ban all fund raising activities of PTI and also declare PTI members in these countries as supporters of banned terrorist groups.
What are you waiting for?? Block the supplies, atleast KPK is with you Kaptaan Sahab...
Blocking Nato supplies wont be easy and it is not be done until all took in consideration
WHY NOT PEACE Sir/ Madam??
‘Kill them all’ is no policy, as many of our so-called liberal commentators would have us believe. The word so called is judiciously used here (Apologies, if someone is hurt unintentionally). Pakistani liberals are the only liberals in the world who believe in war.
Funnily or tragically the same people completely change tack when it comes to Balochistan. Their militaristic pseudo liberal garb suddenly morphs into the genuine article. Doves get emblazoned all over and the chant changes from ‘kill them all’ to ‘make love not war’.
Only war as a policy is wrong, just as only negotiations as a policy is meaningless. The right balance is captured best though a bit tritely in ‘talk talk, fight fight’. You talk to those who are ready to talk and you fight those who are not. Sometimes you talk and fight at the same time.
I wonder if the trolls even thought about a second that ceasefire have been accepted by the TTP only condition was to stop drone. Hakimullah has been killed so what????? they replaced him today :P LOL at drone supporters. Any benefit gain by us??? Majority Pakistani nation wants peace end of killing of army and civilian by the hands of Talibans or whatever militants and Hakimullah was ready to dialogue and ceasefire (DEMOCRACY hellooooo!!!!)? O yeah some body did not want that.. And you guys are praising. I agree its all conspiracy but you don't have prove either you are also believing and trusting something someone.
Imran has officially lost it. Thank god he didn't come to power in the centre.
IK should go to US to get some charity
Y not just wipe of such ppl who symphathise with terrorist.
PTI govt in KP should focus on health, education, roads, sanitation, safe water, jobs. These are the things people voted for. MMA govt put slogan boards on broken roads (Pray Regularly! Respect Your Elders! Etc.) and tore out sign boards from cinema halls, instead of providing basic necessities to people. PTI is no different. We should judge parties performance on school enrollment rates, immunization rates, quality of healthcare, etc., not on how 'brave' they are. We can live with cowards and imbeciles as rulers if they can provide clean drinking water and control sewerage flow on roads. Perhaps IK thinks these things are below his stature!
We and our politicians will never learn. Our agenda and national interest has little to do with that of the US. So if it pushes its agenda through then there is very little that we can do. Uttering useless words for public consumption are futile.
I mean, we a underveloped country, alongwith our tribal cohorts the the middle agesc TTP, think that we can take on a Superpower who has fought two world wars, laid to waste two great and proud nations - Germany and Japan. I mean do when will we see the writing on the wall. Or does it take even more destruction on the TTP and eventually Pakistan to show us the light. We and the TTP are lucky that even more devastating power has not been used by the US against us.
Sometimes it is better to take a deep breath and let things cool down before you commit to a plan of action. Apparently, IK is too hot-headed to do that. The path he is suggesting will lead to more misery.
when a general was killed, IK was not this perturbed, and never announced that he will break the connectivity of TTP inside the province he is ruling.
And the oscar for best dramebaazi goes to IK. P.S : I'm fan of IK the cricketer.
Imran is angry on the death of a terrorist who had killed thousands of Pakistani souls...really " sharamnaak " step taken by pti and imran.I will never ever vote for this idiot again. MY MISTAKE, it won't happened again.
This is the first time a person has taken a stand against injustice. Imran Khan Zindabad. May he live long to serve humanity. Have other leaders any guts to say what Imran Khan is saying. NO because they are sold out.
@Kohestani: And as a result of his murder we will see another thousands innocents and soldiers murdered at the hands of Taliban in MY province KP. Way to go!
@Last Word: You said it right mate.
ETBLOGS1987
Only in Pakistan can people hate a country who killed a man responsible for suicide bombings in playgrounds, markets, hospitals, churches and mosques.
By the way a question to all those who think TTP is funded by India - is Imran also an Indian agent then? Why does he have more empathy for Hakimullah Mehsud than he had for the 6 Shia laborers that were killed in Mach?
There he goes again. Just goes to prove that a liberal education, at one of the best universities of the world, cannot change a mindset that is stuck in medieval Mianwali. No wonder Jemima is again dating Hugh Grant !
I highly doubt the situation in Pakistan is the plot for the movie Oblivion no matter how bad the taliban try to convince us.
I think its a bit obvious the US will not stop drone strikes, because if they did Pakistan would become a safe haven from fleeing terrorists from Afghanistan. (Like it has been). Person A pointing a gun at Person B demanding that he convinces Person C to stop harming A just doesn't buy me any sympathy for Person A.
IK is crying for What ....... For Mehsud's Death Ohhhh Poor boy
There is Nothing in Afghanistan. Afghan War is Now OVER. Let America Go Home Peacefully. Build Afghanistan and Pakistan on Warfooting..
Please guys don't be hot headed.if u stop NATO supply, world will see u as supporting terrorist country and America will advertise it .also they will stop aid and all support .u will be isolated.think over it.
I think you guys are missing the point here in his statement, regardless who was killed by this drone attack, the face is it might just as well derail the peace process in Pakistan. Even the interior minister Mr. Khan has said the same thing the other day, one scenario is that if peace will prevail in Pakistan, all these Jehadis will be heading to Afghanistan and will make situation worst for the allied troops specially the Americans to withdraw in reasonable, orderly and dignified way but these Taliban want to repeat the Vietnam and Saigon or even the Russian withdrawal. Cooler heads should prevail and figure out who would want the pot boiling indefinitely in Pakistan, it hurts the country economically ,politically and militarily and make is dependent on IMF loans and the US handouts. It is time that Pakistanis start thinking what is in their best interest and strive to live peacefully with all the neighbors if possible, concentrate on their economy and get rid of this yoke of loans and handouts which has been there for decades. Stand up on your own feet, it could be done as was done in the case of the nuclear program, all the country needs is sincere, honest and determined leadership.
Wait IK....let me grab a cold beer out of the fridge. This show is about to get a whole lot more interesting! I am so excited. Drone, Drone, Drone, Drone, Drone them all!
Somebody please tell me. Isn't Hakimullah Mehsud a terrorist who is responsible for thousands of deaths? Do we really believe that the state of Pakistan was not involved in the assassination of a terrorist leader? I think IK needs to wake up. Every passing day makes me r realize I voted for the wrong guy.
Peace talks: interior minister Ch.Nisar terms Firday's drone strike 'murder of peace'
Taliban Khan supporting murderer of Pakhtoons.
Keep America farther from you if you want sanity and peace to prevail. People who are bashing TTP here must realize that US is even a bigger evil. IK is a visionary person, had it not been his insight, Americans wouldn't have to kill Hakeem Ullah. Their frustration with anything good happening in Pakistan has been well exposed.
@Last Word: Why america is having such fear from talks as not giving it a chance???
All doubts about him are clear now. He has sold blood of 50 thousand innocent Pakistanis for one terrorist.
Shame on those who criticize an true leader, no country in the world allow stricks in their country even coutries like sudan and somalia no allowing....our liberal and so called wana be westerns just want everything to please america, Imran is not having soft corner for militants but want peace in pakistan
We need to do all that is in our power to make USA succumb. Opposition of Taliban are failing to understand the diversified nature of that group, the different elements. The solution to Taliban, according to them, is war. We have been doing that for 10 years and attacks have increased if anything. It would be stupid for us to maintain course which continuously compromises the lives of civilians in crossfire and our forces in the offense. Talks are necessary so that we don't have to send in more our troops or sacrifice civilians. Once they are on the table, we can better understand them, and hopefully point out the violent elements in them, then we can bring the real perpetrators to justice. Divide and conquer? My people?
For those who think that we are easy to eradicate, you fail to understand the importance of Pakistan. Pakistan is a Muslim state which poses direct threat to all anti-Islam nations. Think on the bigger picture. The real enemy is not IK, it is the USA and Extreme taliban (funded by USA itself)
@M. Emad: Well, that would happen if he worries about the people and reaction of people against innocents of KP, something leaders are supposed to do. something You wouldn't know.
IK protesting the murder of one of his own.
If the Federal Govt/military doesn't control your borders and relations with foreign countries then Pakistan is going to be torn apart. Think about it - taken to it's logical conclusion using IK's rational it's OK for Balochistan to open up negotiations with India. Maybe it's time for the Feds to send a message to Taliban Khan.
Condolences to Imran Khan on the demise of Mr.Mehsud. But this is ridiculous !
You got to wonder why he is so angry. Shouldn't he and every Pakistani be celebrating the death of this mass murderer of Pak civilians and military? I don't understand unless he is a Talib
PLZ go ahead and see what happens than-------! Hit down a drone, stop Nato supply and than be prepared for a overall war with US and other countries. IS Mr Imran,Hafiz Saeed or other like minded people in a position to face US wrath--- Afghanistan's story is totally a different thing. This country is witnessing war for last thirty years with no light, gas, infrastructure, healthcare facilities and education. Thousands of innocent Afghan women today are working in casinos, clubs and brothels of US and the other European countries. More than three million Afghans have become refuges in other countries and their innocent children are begging on streets. Who is responsible for that---The US or our so called warlords and religious zealots like Hikmatyar,Rabbani and today's Taliban? Did Hafeez Saeed,Maulana Fazlur Rehman,Fazlur Rehman Khalil and others ever send their children in the killing fields of Afghanistan and Waziristan or even in Kashmir? Why Mr Hameed Gul did not send any of his near and dears to wage "Jihad" in Afghanistan or in FATA against the "infidels." So sir: Charity begins at home. Plz first send your nears and dears to earn "SAWAAB" and than ask others to jump into this inferno. The hero of this story was only one man and he was Shaheed Osama Bin Laden, who proved his sincerity and dedication to his cause and fought with the super power with a brave heart. Infact he deserves all praises and love and will be remembered for a long time. While the rest (SLOGAN MONGERS) is only a junk and will be trashed in the dustbin of history.
Kiptan is so consistent for this vital and unavoidable peace talks with Taliban. It is not because he is going to support them, it is because he is going to save us- people belonging to KPK in common and the rest of Pakistan in general. Why don't you idiots understand that be it tomorrow r a century latter we are destined to solve this militancy while sitting across the table. So be it today. I fully support IK because I belong to KPK and I know what a suicide bomb means and how it has destroyed a generation of us either physically or mentally.