Talking to media in Peshawar where arrangements have been made for a large rally in an open ground, DPC leader said they would reject parliament’s decision with “full force on all fronts”.
They said that since the Pentagon had made it clear that drone attacks would not be suspended, there was no justification for the resumption of Nato supplies through the country.
“If the supply was restored then we will resist it peacefully by staging protests near its routes, as we fear that either Nato or America could send its armed forces to Pakistan on the pretext of securing the supply route,” said Maulana Samiul Haq, adding that the decision regarding the resumption of the supply line was taken by parliament overnight on the instructions of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Imran Khan’s stance
Meanwhile, in Lahore, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan said the restoration of the supply line was “the biggest collusion” between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the US.
He was addressing the 2012 Punjab PTI Women Convention. Imran also showed grave concern over the loss of 40,000 Pakistani soldiers in the US ‘war on terror’ and reiterated that Pakistan must stop fighting a foreign war. “We always knew that the Nato supply line would be restored since these rulers have no spine to show against the US,” said Imran. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM our correspondent IN LAHORE)
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2012.
COMMENTS (46)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@MarkH
Another difference is that IK does not have beard!!
A clear indication that pTI is not fit for governing power as its motto is oppose, oppose, oppose as not smart enough to propose alternate policy solutions acceptable to locals and global village.
hy you media we trust ik! whatever u say we don't care we are with ik.....`
PTI/ Imran khan should be asked if they are concerned on the loss of lives in Pakistan caused by the violence /intolerance by Militants/TTP for not following their concept of Islam. Total lives lost are not less than the loss of lives in war on terror. Presently America is blamed for all the problems. Once they withdraw from Afghanistan ruling parties will be blamed( provided democracy survives) . Root cause of the problems are deliberately ignored and over the period it may be very very difficult, if not impossible, to solve the problems in short span and people my have to undergo sufferings for a longer period.
if nato supplies resumes , then it will be the biggest insult to our nations martyrs. i only want to see what pti do to stop it. dpc will not be able to do anything. they don't have people power, but imran khan has. its his duty to protect pakistan's honor.
Ah, here we go again with biased media. These are two statements made by two SEPARATE people in two SEPARATE cities, yet ET chooses to lump them together. Very effective way of fooling the public.
The media is not suppose to take sides. The writers, editors, moderators at ET don't realize the injustice they are conducting. You people have an important duty to be fair with the people as well.
why is it that my 'comments' recorded around 12.30 have not displaced. I shall appreciate a reply accorded me...................
Live in fear and die in fear. Don't you have the dignity to stand for what is right and what is wrong. We have been cooperating with the US since ever. But we never got the due from there. They stopped their aid in 1965 during wartime. They fled in 80's when Russia withdrew from Afghanistan. They stopped F-16's although we paid fro them. They sanctioned us in 1998 heavily and just gave a lip-service in case of India. We spent around $40 billion during the operation in Waziristan and Sawat for which we were promised to be paid out of the Coalition Support fund but we have not paid rather they have stopped to pay. This isn't the way you deal with a sovereign country. We are not a colony of the US. We are an independent and sovereign country.
@Jawad Jutt:
I do not intend to question your point of view but just like to state another aspect regarding Pakistan's exports:
Pakistan is only exporting items which are necessity of the external world. Major item in our export portfolio is food products like Rice. World would suffer more than Pakistan would suffer. Secondly, Pakistan is always experiencing trade deficit. So, if a trade embargo is imposed than both exports and imports would be impacted. The net result is ought to be positive for Pakistan. Major imports by USA of Pakistani goods are textile goods (towels, hoisery, etc.).
Except for Oil (from Gulf, Iran), Pakistan does not import any essential items. Cars, computers, TVs, LCD and electronics I persume do not constitute as essential goods.
If someone thinks that Pakistan can be presurrised by an embargo, then that one is living in fool's paradise.
As far as Parlaiment's resolution is concerned, it seems a reasonable one. And its full compliance from USA should be required.
Its wierd that on one side Ik's opponents call him a westeren and someone whose children study abroad and on the other side his opponents also call him a mullah and a sympathizer of terrorists. it would be better if they figure out who the real Imran is.
Shias are killed baecause Pakistan is trying to come close to Iran....
All these leaders that we have are there becuase thery are best for America ...what we are getting from them are just measly side effects!!!!
PTI stance is clear from day 1 about war of terror and nato supply.other people following PTI.
@media manipulation: Could you please explain a single difference of demands between two (PTI shares all demands presented by DPC)...correct me if I am wrong!
as a friend of Pakistan i will advice that you fight Pakistani Taliban ,don't worry about America,.Imran khan and DPC know they have no piblic voter base so they try these stunts
@Jawad Jutt, I think you need to do some homework as well.
Imran Khan has always insisted that military options should be the last resort. But in America's post 9-11 syndrome we rented our soldiers for a war that could have been prevented had our establishment placed political negotiations on the priority list.
This is exactly what happened in Balochistan as well.
Of all the leaders in Pakistan Imran Khan has been consistent with his views about such conflicts. The same DPC finds the military to be the right option in Balochistan. Similarly, on talk shows and rallies PMLn-JUI-MQM say that they are against NATO lines and drones attacks but how they acted in the current scenario openly showed their double standards.
I think that's enough for you to judge who the real hypocrites are.
@Ali q: I dont know that talking with logic makes you a member of Status Quo. ?? Imran Khan was the same person who as usual rejected the Swat Operation and stressed dialogue with Taliban. Today Swat is a peaceful place. What is your say about it??. Labelling everyone a part of establishment or so called coined word Status quo is pretty easy and that is what all PTI emotional youth are doing.
Give me the solution or give me any example of homework that you have done that what consequences we can have after a direct confrontation with America or else I dont want to argue.
Tomorrow when Taliban will be marching in streets of Lahore and Karachi then i am sure Imran Khan will be stressing dialogue with them but wise one will ought for all out war with them and perish them for good so that we can live peacefully.
@MarkH wow! you must be reading this from South Waziristan.
Actually it's the DPC that's jumping Imran's bandwagon: aren't these DPC maulanas the same leaders who were in the assembly when the War on Terror started, weren't they shining Musharraf's shoes while Imran left the coalition following the referrendum?
For a fact Imran has always been against the War on Terror, on the other hand the blood thirsty DPC rightist wouldn't have done this boycott if they were in the assembly, just like Maulana Fazal ur Rehman.
oh janab they are real lion.we need to givem them salute.....
@PhD_Norway: I call them victims in waiting who speak out only from places of comfort.
Pakistan Zinda Baad
Both PTI and DPC have a very good stance.Atleast some people can raise the voice and they have courage and brave, this is very good thing. Wish other have also.............If we cannot stand with atleast we can give the respect and say the good words about them. Regards
The Samjhota Express was singing "Kill NATO" for the past three months and now since they have changed their stance the media starts pointing fingers at Imran Khan.
Did PTI ever change their stance on NATO?
PTI's stand has been consistent from day one. If it matches with the DPC, then so be it. But it is purely in Pakistan's "national interest" that we come out of this war on terror because it has and continues to do huge damage to us as a nation.
P.S. It seems it is a misquote by ET that IK said 40000 soldiers, he must have said 40,000 total dead because of this war in Pakistan as he has said many times before.
@ all
people belong to DPC and PTi is same Pakistani as you r, you think you and your leaders are moderate?? may be, but what benefit had get the people of Pakistan from your moderate leaders since 60 year????
For all indians & their agents, what's the problem with you guys? Yes. Am a PTI worker & would tell you that the ideology & objectives of both PTI & DPC are the same. Somehow, ET which is a foreign newspaper is projecting this as some thing wrong. & what's wrong in that is what I don't understand? DPC needs PTI as much as PTI needs DPC. In Pakistan, during our elections, every political party have armed groups (PPP! PML, MQM). Without this support, no election can be one even if you have 100% public support & DPC will provide this. Soon, PTI & DPC will publicly announce the alliance.
@Jawad Jutt:
What a script! No wonder status quo can't present solutions, their very imagination is chained. Someone who cant envision a Pakistan that is without corruption, without such strong foreign influence, a pakistan that co-exists peacefully - has little chance at fixing it. Leaders present a vision, policies are built around that vision. Imran khan is high powered achiever (shaukat khanum, Namal, forming a party and taking it from zero to significant threat to decades old voting banks of status quo, all in a span of 15 odd years) Underestimate and ridicule him at your own risk...he's proven me wrong far too many times for me to mock him or brush him aside as "emotional".
A man is known by the company he keeps.
Now the ' Burgers' will have a second though for IK. Badly exposed. This means that Birds of the same feather fly together.
PTI and DPC are propped up by agencies, same brains behind the scene.
I knew this news item will be taken as an excuse to paint PTI and DPC with the same brush. Tell me, on one hand you accuse IK's children of not being Muslim, on the other hand you accuse him of being a Mullah. Which one is it?
@Ali q: They may as well. The two appear to agree on everything. The only difference is Imran Khan hasn't made death threats.
For God sake, America is not our problem. You must fight against those extremist religious elements. Protect sheya community first. Will you, Imran?
This is a perfect example of media trying to typecast PTI into a very extremist type of a party by showing Imran and DPC in the same context whereas not required at all.
Media manipulation at its peak.
Yes. PTI's stance is consistent with its 10 year old stance with respect to this war. (ET poorly lumps DPC and PTI as if the stance was taken in a joint sitting just recently)
“full force on all fronts” "If the supply was restored then we will resist it peacefully by staging protests near its routes, as we fear that either Nato or America could send its armed forces to Pakistan on the pretext of securing the supply route” Contradictory Delusional and highly unlikely to stay peaceful.
“We always knew that the Nato supply line would be restored since these rulers have no spine to show against the US” The only reason he acts like he has one is because the world doesn't pay any attention to him or thinks he matters enough to have to deal with any consequences. Just like his past dharnas. They didn't make it into the international media's radar at all. Had I never come here I wouldn't even know the man exists and I know I'm not alone. Cricket is the only thing he has a big name in and it's not watched or played in the US to the point that it doesn't even make it into sports news.
People both inside and outside were aware of the objections. Take the hint that nobody cares already. You don't make the decisions because you hold no real position. That's why voting happens. If you don't win, you don't decide. Boycotting doesn't change that.
Imran Khan policies are all out confrontation with America and with everyone. Imran Khan and Dafae Pakistan are silent on the issue of Hazara Killings in Balochistan because PTI is siding with Dafae Pakistan and Imran Khan should know that Suporters of Lashkar e Jhangvi are in that group as well. If Imran Khan have the spine then go and confront those religious leaders who have supported the recent killings of Shias. Mr Imran Khan you just put yourself in safe house in Lahore and then rambling about everything. Dont play with emotions and sentiments of Pakistanis. . Pakistan's 50 percent exports are to Europe and America and more than 80 percent to its Allies. Just imagine with one decision if America and Europe will embargo Pakistan then
1)More than 12 billion dollars of Export will go to a halt. Many other countries in UN could join in and in the end Pakistan will be virtually export less nation. Unemployment will rise and our economy will cripple.
2) Our currency will be devalued like Iranian currency due to hyperinflation as out stupid gov will print more money to face deficit like they are doing right now and one rupee will be minimum of 1000 to a dollar and in future it will be 10,000 to a dollar.
3) This will further imbalance our import export Bill of the country and one day will arise when Pakistan will be unable to import anything.
4) As a result we will not be able to buy any Oil to produce electricity and for transport as we will not have any Forex reserves to buy anything.
5) In the meanwhile obviously when Pakistan will not be able to pay anything then our Army could cripple and on one side there will be Afghans and on the other side there will be India and in the middle we will be fighting among ourselves. 6) In the end Pakistan will implode and Mr Imran will fled Pakistan or will blame everything on PMLN and Nawaz Sharif again and on all other parties.
We dont need Emotional Leaders like Imran Khan. We need leaders that could plan on long term basis and will not play with emotional sentiment and should know consequences of all fo what they are about to say pertaining to a decision. Criticism is the easiest thing.Bringing forth any productive solution is more than difficult
Very sad to see PTI and IK sharing the chair with these DPC jokers and anti nationals. We had high hopes from IK, but it seems in politics, people can do whatever to get political objectives. DPC should have been long banned and these mullahs belonging to internationally banned organizations, along with likes of Gul and Hamids should have been put behind bar for instigating violence and conspiring against pakistan's better interest. But we forget that this is Pakistan from where good sense and justice have long disappeared.
Either this is a typo or IK doesn't know how to count -- I believe the military loses are closer to 4,000 than 40,000 -- but IK has net let facts get in the way of his pandering for public approval.
United we stand. Divided we fall. IK, Unite the right and the left behind you. Talk to others sympathetic to the plight of millions of Pakistanis. Ask your citizens to come out and just stop everything, so that nothing moves. No railways, no flights, no transport. Our rulers are rats. They will flee at the earliest sign of insurrection. They have no stomach to fight.
DPC and PTI are two sides of same coin.
The two maulanas have spoken with one voice. All these rightwing parties and their leaders have the same philosophy and there is little to choose between them. By the time elections are held people would have another look at these rightwing leaders and find them alike. No wonder one PML's leaders are going to PTI and the other PML.