Political and religious forces condemn Trump

Hold Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan Convention in Karachi, present letter of condemnation to US consulate

KARACHI: In a rare show of unity, a number of political and religious parties and groups presented a joint letter to the US consulate in Karachi on Wednesday, condemning a recent statement by President Donald Trump.

The letter of condemnation was meant to register the nation’s protest, anger and disappointment over the anti-Pakistan narrative of US President Donald Trump.

It was presented to the US consulate after a Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan Convention was held at the Karachi Press Club. It was signed by prominent leaders belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP) and others.

 The letter says that since the beginning of the war on terrorism, Pakistan suffered the most, but sadly the US president forgot “our valuable contribution towards this war” and “the heavy price we paid”.

The letter details the price Pakistan paid in both humanitarian and economic terms while rendering unprecedented sacrifices in the war on terror.

It says that as many as 75,000 Pakistani civilians and personnel of military and law enforcement agencies have been martyred over the past 16 years. Citing the SBP data, it says that Pakistan suffered a loss of $185 billion between 2002 and 2016.

Countering the US president’s allegation that Pakistan is a safe haven for Afghan Taliban and the Haqqanis, the letter says if it is true, how Afghan Taliban could gain control over 50% of Afghan territory.



It concludes by saying that instead of blaming Pakistan, Trump should have condemned India’s designs in Afghanistan, its atrocities in held Kashmir and its use of Afghan soil against Pakistan.

Before submitting the letter of condemnation to the US consulate, PML-N’s Tariq, convener of the Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan Convention, said, “We have set aside our political differences and we are always ready to defend our nation against any external aggression.”

He said that the convention was a befitting response to Pakistan’s enemies.

Ameer JI Karachi Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Washington was never “our friend and today we want to send a resounding message that we no longer want to remain a US ally”.

Haleem Adil Sheikh of the PTI said all political forces were in unity with the Army and willing to respond to any aggression against the country. “No one should underestimate our national determination.”

Waseem Aftab of the PSP and Najmi Alam of the PPP expressed similar views.

They said the Pakistani nation believed in sovereignty and no one had the right challenge it. The nation, they added, was always ready to render any sacrifices for their motherland.