With Nato routes still closed, DPC calls off its long march

DPC leaders say they will continue their protests, will announce future schedule after meeting in Karachi on May 27.

LAHORE: The Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) has withdrawn their call for a long march from Karachi to Islamabad, scheduled to start from May 27.

Liaqat Baloch, head of the Organising Committee of DPC for the long march, announced the move at a press conference at the Jamaat-e-Islami office in Lahore on Wednesday. He said that since the government had made no moves to reopen the Nato supply route during the Chicago conference, the DPC has decided to reschedule its march. He added that the long march was the last option for the DPC to stop the government from resuming the Nato supply routes.

The conference was attended by Molana Amir Hamza, Molana Abdul Rauf Farooqi, Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, Molana Tair Mahmood Ashrafi, Molana Zahid Mahmood Qasmi, Molana Shamasur Rehman Muavia, Amirul Azeem, Asim Makhdoom and others.

Instead of the long march, they said that on May 26, there would be a meeting of DPC representatives in Karachi to announce the further strategy of its protests. On May 27, there would a students, scholars and workers convention in Karachi. On June 1, there would be sit-in protests at the divisional head quarters of the DPC in all across Pakistan. Balcoh said that they would also protest over Nato supply route, in case the government takes any step in favour of US forces.

This decision to reschedule the long march was taken in a meeting of the long march organising committee of DPC at Mansoora. The meeting was attended by Molana Samiul Haq, Sayed Munawar Hasan, Professor Hafiz Saeed, Molana Ahmed Ludhianvi, Molana Fazalur Rehman Khalil, Sheikh Rashid, and Ijazul Haq.

Participants of the meeting said the rulers were cheating the public in different ways and are trying to reopen the Nato supply lines after bypassing the parliament.

They maintained that the long march is an effective tool of public protest and will be used at the proper time. They demanded the religious scholars of the country to carry condemnation resolutions on May 25. They said they would continue the movement till ouster of US forces from the region. The meeting was of the view that President Zardari had participated in the Chicago conference contrary to the wishes of the people expressed by the parliament, and had gained nothing more than mere insult.