Pakistan

PTI blocks NATO supplies in Quetta

Imran Khan is expected to address the gathering via telephone.

June 12, 2011

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a sit-in in Quetta on Sunday to protest against the safe passage allowed to NATO supplies through Pakistan.

A large number of PTI activists have gathered at the Khazai Chowk near the western bypass of Quetta chanting slogans against the government for allowing NATO to use the land route to transport supplies to forces in Afghanistan.

PTI Chairman, Imran Khan is expected to address the gathering via telephone after which the sit in is scheduled to end.

Besides normal traffic, the movement of vehicles carrying supplies for NATO troops has also been stopped.

The participants also demanded the implementation of the Parliament's resolution to stop drone attacks in Pakistan.

Earlier this year PTI organized similar sit-in(s) in Peshawar and Karachi blocking NATO supply routes, protesting US intervention in Pakistan, drone strikes and the government's war on terror policy.

COMMENTS (46)

Ahsan Danish | 13 years ago | Reply Imran Khan takes issue with, is that it’s suggested by some that he is a Taliban sympathiser. And for that, one has to consider that there is no other force in Pakistan that treats them as a legitimate entity that has tangible demands that can be accommodated with negotiations. But perhaps most troubling is Imran Khan’s belief in magic. He thinks if the US withdraws from Afghanistan, all will be fixed. Once radicalised, mission creep begins. To believe that those who enjoy the spoils of the fruits of terror will cave in is a gross misunderstanding of what groups like the Taliban are. They want an end to Pakistan as it is, under our Constitution. Imran Khan extends the same line of thought to why there are divisions in the army amongst those who may have helped in the PNS Mehran attack. He traces it back to the war on terror, but misreads that the radicalised jawan just wants the Americans gone. They want democracy to end, they want minorities to cease to exist, they want a fascism of their narrowly-defined beliefs, and they want a state of perpetual war against others. In “Parker Spitzer” on CNN, Imran blamed the death of Salmaan Taseer on the war on terror. As if blasphemy related murders never happened before 9/11. In the same show, when prodded to explain how terrorism could end, he suggested a ceasefire, negotiations and compromise. That’s exactly what happened in 2009 in Swat and Malakand, with the government going further and giving the extremists legal cover. In all of Imran’s statements, one can find a rich source of caveats where he espouses progressive views. But it’s hard to take that on face value when banned groups, Hamid Gul and the Jamaat-e-Islami take a liking to him and he cavorts with the latter two.

Arsalan Ghumman | 13 years ago | Reply @Moulana Diesel Dharna/sit-in are usually against the one who are in government. PTI has condemned the attacks by anyone who are terrifying the people whether they are in Karachi, Quetta or KPK or FATA. You ask Imran Khan to do everything for you but you yourself doing nothing but commenting via internet. Dharna against Taliban or whatever org won't do anything because if you need to curb this you need to be in the government. It is politics no emotional drama.

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R S JOHAR | 13 years ago | Reply Seven NATO tankers were destroyed when IK was on dharna. Pak govt will be quite happy to deport IK to US if it request for the same because of the instant popularity being gained by him during these dharnas.

Thinking | 13 years ago | Reply Imran Khan is a joke and a half. The title says "Blocks NATO supplies" but the article doesn't mention any blockade but just a lame protest. If only Pakistanis cared enough to protest things that actually matter like protesting against terrorist attacks, the mistreatment of minorities, or the massive corruption and incompetence of the military and ISI. Instead they protest stupid things.

amoghavarsha.ii | 13 years ago | Reply At least IK is doing something what he thinks/says...He intended to stop nato supplies, he did, however briefly. So he has proved a point to Pakistan Govt & Army. If pakistan govt. and pakistan army thinks drone attacks is bad for pakistan & intents to stop drone attacks, THEY CAN DO

Siraj Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply I agree dharna is a truly global human right and IK should do it but it also is that he is more of a pressure group than anything else. He hasnt really cleared his point "What Next?" Further he is sitting in JI's lap and they consider OBL as Shaheed does he also condone it? How do you counter the terror that is coming out of North? With US gone it wont end how does he intends to end it?

Jan Sher | 13 years ago | Reply @Maulana Diesel: Then Mr. Mulla... Ask the CIA and RAW ..to do it...Theya re the one who supplying them arms.

Mark | 13 years ago | Reply Ha. Calling me your Indian friend with an English name. Do you have any idea just how much you confirmed your ridiculous views? Always gotta be an enemy if a view differs. Can't be an enemy unless it has been established in the book of Conspiracy for Dummies, Pakistan edition. They had to make a separate edition for Pakistan because they took offense to it being put in the comedy section of the book stores everywhere else.

Arslan | 13 years ago | Reply @Mark: So laugh a little, raise you eyebrows, and shake your head; it's still more healthy than sitting in front of the computer and putting such useless rant against something you don't know. The dharnas are, at the best, the proof that a collective, popular, mass movement can have a political influence; and, at the least, the proof that Pakistanis are pre-occupied by what is happening to their northern brother. In every case, it's far from being useless, contrarily to some comments here, who criticize for the sake of criticizing. Cheers.

Waqas | 13 years ago | Reply To protest is the right given by all democracies. A million people stood against Iraq's invasion, they couldn't stop it but still stood against it. Majority of people support Imran Khan on this stand. Victory will be ours!

All BS | 13 years ago | Reply Wow, good to see PTI becoming a mainstream party, protests in K-P, protests in Punjab, protests in Sindh (Karachi + Sukkur) and now protests in Balochistan. Stand tall and be counted Also, to become a bigger party the PTI members must show ability to take criticsm in a healthy and constructive manner. And learn to laugh off the Zardari and Sharif apologists

Rizwan | 13 years ago | Reply Imran is good leader ! atleast not currupt--

Arshad Jamal Butt | 13 years ago | Reply There is one difference between army rule and democracy which is democratic people finds solution through dialogue and Army rule talks with Guns. NATO forces talk with gun against Taliban “what is the result?” Taliban finished? But question is “what will be benefit to arrange a dialogue with American funded Taliban who are destabilizing Pakistan not USA ”.

R S JOHAR | 13 years ago | Reply Does Imran Khan has any other agenda except drones ?

Protestor | 13 years ago | Reply Well done PTI........................nice work,PTI took marvelous action against NATO.Keep it up.

Faction | 13 years ago | Reply @farina khan - you are right, you have to have the brain of 1 year old to believe that NATO supplies the Taliban. You qualify!

Siraj Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply @Maulana Diesel: I asked him policy questions on twitter and he didnt respond... maybe busy or maybe the script handed over to him by ISI actually ended at the Dharna. He goes on dharna for Nato but conveniently forgets the extra judicial killing of Pakistanis and also blames civillian government for death of Saleem Shehzad whereas we know they didnt do it.

san | 13 years ago | Reply In civilised world this is called peaceful protest, whether it achieve anything or not.

mussarat | 13 years ago | Reply @khurram kaleem: No No No! He is as brave as Altaf Bhai. He is toeing his lines by meeting his voters through telephonic address. Mussarat

ChotaChetan | 13 years ago | Reply IK knows very well this baboonery wont stop th drone attcks...wht is he stuck in doing this then?

Akthar | 13 years ago | Reply Why cant IK sahab do a dharna for justice for the journo? Also, the GHQ allowed drones from Mush's era, & the politicians have no role in foreign policy. So IK is calling cheap political scoring & rhetoric to fool people like you. Does IK have guts to protest against the drones in front of the GHQ? Instead of answering my questions, you'll blame me as RAW, CIA agent like zaid hamid and get away! IK is nothing bit a stooge of GHQ, nothing else!

hussain | 13 years ago | Reply @Mark: yes mark my indian friend with an english name. We in pakistan speak out against injustice, we dont care if dhara dont achieve anything we will speak out.

Realist Khan | 13 years ago | Reply A dharna Outside GHQ please!

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply The Taliban is getting its supplies from either the Indian's or the Americans. Ask your army and corrupt politicians.

Noor | 13 years ago | Reply @Exposed: no point telling them readers of tribune are all indian,french or pakistanis who wish they were french

ChotaCheta | 13 years ago | Reply This man is a joke!

Massileaks | 13 years ago | Reply Ok i am against drone attacks but do we have a plan to catch/stop the terrorist in waziristan. No country would use drones in pakistan If we have the backbone to stop these terrorist from turning pakistan into a safe haven. First make real effort in capturing the terrorist and drones attack will stop.

Mark | 13 years ago | Reply I love how pretty much every Imran Khan lover doesn't know the meaning of futility . Do you guys really believe any "dharna" will accomplish anything? It just makes people raise eyebrows, laugh a little and shake their heads. You guys want to be taken seriously but every method you employ just makes it harder to do so. Funny thing about the world. It's a huge place. If you get annoying enough, the only thing that is going to happen is another route will be created. You can't be everywhere. You don't even have a goal in your little dharnas. You do them for the sake of doing them. Not because you have some kind of plan or answers. "Let's get attention, not through our revolutionary and visionary mindset but through jumping up and down waving our hands yelling 'look at us! look at us!' we'll worry about the details later" I also love how Imran Khan really knows how to get his hands dirty hitting those telephone number keys. admirable.

mahmood | 13 years ago | Reply Publicity stunt -- doesn't change USA/NATO policy -- doesn't even have meaninful impact USA/NATO operations -- just Imran Khan pandering to the populist anti America attitude to garner votes. The man has no substance - no long term solutions - a classic politician long on rhetoric and theatrics.

waqas | 13 years ago | Reply one solution only revolution vote imran khan save paksitan

khurram kaleem | 13 years ago | Reply Imran khan is a fake coward leader He ran away into hiding on long march occasion... He went back on his stand on ALTAF HUSSAIN MAY 12 CARNAGE IN kHI.He promised the nation of filing suit in scotland but never did it He does not have a team to run the state. Dont trust this guy ppl

Arslan | 13 years ago | Reply lol @ the anti-Imran Khan keyboard political analysts -> he has condemned the ranger incidents, and he has even spoke against Kayani in...a dharna! If you know how to use Youtube, just type 'Imran Khan asks Gen Kayani to resign now!' and 'Imran Khan sending Laanat on Sharif and Kayani!!'. He's not against Army per se (as every patriotic Pakistani), but establishment - including the Army establishment.

hannan | 13 years ago | Reply imran has always condemned terrorism.... and if we bolck NATO supplies indirectly we are blocking supplies of terrorist... wake up PAKISTANI'S SUPPORT PTI

ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply great to see big PTI presence in Quetta

Haseeb | 13 years ago | Reply go pti go.... those who are jealous will negate your every step...

Noor | 13 years ago | Reply @Akthar: he already has condemned the death of a journo and terror attacks you are just blind.we dont know who killed journo, first you should prove you were not responsible for it

Exposed | 13 years ago | Reply @Rafay PTI's student wing ISF Karachi, ISF Lahore and ISF Peshawar protested agaisnt rangers incident yesterday. You can check that news and picture simply going to the party website.

Raj | 13 years ago | Reply @Farhan : You are dead right. Barring some individuals like Maulana Diesel thought process of a significant number of Pakistanis and that of 1 year olds are having similar wavelengths.

faraz | 13 years ago | Reply Imran issued a statement yesterday that Nawaz is maligning the army and agencies and he has a foreign agenda. NRO is a conspiracy against the army. Perhaps he doesn’t know that Kiyani negotiated NRO; and army has allowed drone strikes and agencies provide intelligence. It’s the army which runs our foreign policy, not PPP.

Rafay | 13 years ago | Reply IMRAN Kindly one dhrane from Sarfraz....whos killed by Ranger in karachi.

Exposed | 13 years ago | Reply Well done PTI. Imran Khan is giving tough time to all the local and international powers. PTI is going to rule very soon. InshAllah

Akthar | 13 years ago | Reply Yeah. Imran khan, i hop will also condemn killing of journos & terror attacks.

Farhan Khan | 13 years ago | Reply @Maulana Diesel: Even a 1 year kid knows that NATO supplies are actually meant for Taliban and Al-Qaeda ... And fortunately or unfortunately they are best at work ...

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply That's a pleasant surprise. I thought the 'surprise dharna' call by Imran khan was a bluff!! Go PTI.

Raza | 13 years ago | Reply Again??

Maulana Diesel | 13 years ago | Reply Who is the going to block the supplies to the Taliban and AlQaeda? Imran Khan we need a dharna against the killers of 35,000 Pakistanis also.

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