Collateral damage: PTI supporters stage rally against drone strikes
Street politics, with the single objective of a change in government, is gaining currency which the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) capitalised on along with anti-US sentiments by making drone strikes in tribal areas the focal point of its anti-government rally in the capital on Friday.
Addressing several hundreds of emotionally charged youths and tribal elders in front of parliament house, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said, “Drone attacks kill innocent people including women and children and are carried out with the government’s complicity.” The rally started from China Chowk and culminated in front of parliament house which has become a speakers’ corner for protesters. PTI activists were seen carrying placards and raising slogans against the government and the US with equal force.
A parliamentary resolution against drone strikes, Imran Khan stated, had recommended remedial measures in case the CIA continued predator strikes in tribal areas. Instead of implementing the resolution, he said, “Our politicians condemn drone strikes in public statements but seek their (US) support to remain in power in private meetings with American officials.” Khan said the government did not want to stop drone strikes fearing a suspension of monetary aid. “Government officials do not hesitate to mortgage the country’s sovereignty and integrity for the sake of aid.”
The PTI chairman demanded an end to military operation in FATA as it was counterproductive and had failed to eliminate terrorists. “Innocent people have also been killed in military operations.” Issues can be resolved through negotiations, he added. He said President Asif Ali Zardari was loyal to his American masters since he came to power through the National Reconciliation Ordinance which had been brokered by the US.
Earlier, a Waziristan grand jirga passed a resolution against drone strikes and called upon Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to conduct an independent inquiry to investigate facts and provide justice to victims’ families. The resolution said the state and its institutions have failed to enforce fundamental rights of citizens guaranteed in the constitution. Terming drone attacks a violation of Pakistani and international laws, the resolution requested UN secretary general and special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to intervene and stop murder of civilians in violation of the state’s sovereignty.
Imran Khan, Clive Smith, director Reprieve, a UK-based legal action NGO, former ambassador Ayaz Wazir, MNA Kamran Khan, tribal elders and members of victims’ families attended the jirga. The PTI is scheduled to hold a grand rally in Lahore on October 30.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2011.
COMMENTS (15)
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we proud of Imran khan.he is the real leader of pakistan. america havekilld alot of innocen people in tribal area.
@Cautious: So you're assuming that Pakistan is not complicitly allowing drone strikes.
Cautious: America also made it clear that they were going to go into Iraq and find so called WMDs which were a threat to USA. Fast forward ten years, and we all know how many "WMDs" they really found there. America lost its credibility long time ago, so implying that it still has "clear" policies on worldly matters is as good as a sour joke.
The only solution is for Americans to leave and get outta here.
Obama has made it clear that the drone attacks will continue until Pakistan eliminates the safe havens --- what does Khan plan on doing when the American's tell him the same thing that they tell the current govt? Further - what happens when the military tells Khan that they are not willing to go to war with the USA over the drone attacks. Khan is a typical politician who panders to the masses over an issue that he will conveniently forget if he ever gets into office.
@Rational Mind: Jamima is not coming in Imran's Rallies. Jamiama works for human rights organisation called Reprieve with Clive smith. They both came here to see Trible people ragrding illegal Drone attacks and making documentary plus this organisation is helping the Muslims who arrested and are kep in Gauntanomobay.
You need to correct your Knowledge and information first before leave here comments.
To Imran Khan : Jemima will cost you dearly if you bring her to rallies etc
This is the reality that not a single party lift the government. Neither PMLN nor PTI. They have to join together just on one agenda which should be lift this government. Otherwise, Zardari league will get the political millage of the war between PMLN and PTI and Pak Awam will suffer again. Please for God sake, don't divide the nation so thet be united on one agenda after thet show your power in next elections.
i don't mind these rallies, but the only question that i want to ask the PTIans is why don't the show the same amount of passion when schools are bombed? destruction of a school destroys atleast a couple of generations but the skipper has yet to say a word against it? maybe the powers that control him want Pakistan to be destroyed economically and he is nothing but a pawn in the great game? bas kaptan bas
@Abdul Rehman Gilani: He hasn't managed to effect a thing yet, so I think you're going to have to retract that tight slap comment you're over eager to use for another day.
@Mirza: Sorry. MQM's rally is in Karachi and not Lahore. My mistake. I had read somewhere that they were planning to hold it in Lahore.
i am waiting to see anyone calling these NGOs as Taliban apologists...No one will say this, because they we trust any outsider, but will never trust our own (Imran Khan)...:(
Where are all the "liberals" who lampoon the cause of human rights now?
Great move by Imran Khan, and its a tight slap to the face of the lobby here, which is in paucity, and is sycophantic of the US.
Drone strikes are a form of mechanical terrorism, committed by the biggest terrorist of the world, the USA.