Against restoring NATO supplies: DPC announces long march to parliament

Samiul Haq says restoration of supplies is an ‘insult to parliament’.


Our Correspondent July 07, 2012

LAHORE:


The long march on Sunday (today) against the resumption of NATO supplies through Pakistan shall be a step towards ending US influence in the country, speakers at a Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) meeting said on Saturday.


Addressing the DPC All Parties Conference hosted by Jamatud Dawa (JD) at a private hall with Maulana Samiul Haq in chair, they announced that arrangements had been finalised for the march which would reach Islamabad in two days.

Participants of the meeting included the heads of several religious parties, ex-ISI chief General (retd) Hameed Gul and three ex-brigadiers, Nadir Mir, Hamid Saeed and Muhammad Hanif and Awami Muslim League head Sheikh Rasheed.

In his opening speech, Maulana Samiul Haq, said that the re-opening of NATO supplies was an insult to the parliament. On behalf of the participants of the APC, he demanded that the government resign.

He said that the long march was not just against re-opening NATO supplies but also against corruption, the increase in prices and power outages. He asked drivers, conductors, helpers and mechanics of NATO containers should refuse to work on them since advancing the NATO supply was an “un-Islamic act.”

Qari Mansoor Ahmed, representative of Tehreek Ghalba-i-Islam, told the participants that stopping NATO supplies was a favour to the Taliban. “Our party is fighting against US forces in Afghanistan shoulder to shoulder with the Taliban and will do whatever it takes to ensure NATO supplies remain suspended,” he said. “It is an effective tool of jihad (just war).” He said they were aligned with the DPC in line with their chief, Maulana Abdul Jabbar’s orders.

JD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said that DPC had played a role in keeping NATO supplies suspended for eight months. He said that the DPC believed in non-violent protest and aimed at cutting off NATO supply lines. He said that they hoped to ensure the exit of US forces from the region.

He expressed his apprehension that suicide attacks would start again if the supply line is re-opened and the US stay in the region would be extended.

Introduced as a “symbol of jihad” by the stage secretary, General (retd) Hameed Gul said that the government had announced it would reopen NATO supplies under pressure.

He said that if an agriculturally rich country such as Pakistan could not uphold its sovereignty, no one in the world could do so.

“It is tragic if the decision to re-open supply lines was taken unanimously by the civil and military leadership,” he said.

He said that the supply line agreement was for an unlimited period despite the NATO announcement to leave by 2014. “Parliamentary permission will allow US forces to attack any region in Pakistan or conduct Combat Air Patrol (CAP) if its supply line is attacked,” he said.

He said that the US was attempting to divert Chinese influence away from Pakistan and de-nuclearise, de-Islamise and divide it. “The notion that NATO will not be allowed to transport ‘lethal weapons’ is strange. All weapons are lethal and used against humanity,” he said.

Munawar Hassan, chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami, said that government must act according to mandate or this movement will continue. He said that missing persons and drone attacks were the result of the US war on terror.

Sheikh Rasheed, the APML chief, said that only religious parties can take a principled stand against the US. He asked the government to step down. He also said that the Islamic faith could not be complete without believing in jihad.

Later, addressing a media briefing, Maulana Samiul Haq said they will proceed towards Islamabad through GT Road from Nasser Bagh on Sunday at 10 am. He said they would reach Gujrat on Sunday where they will spend the night. He said that they will reach D Ground Islamabad in front of the Parliament House on July 9 where they will hold a procession and deliver speeches.

He said that this was the first phase of their protests. He said that protest marches will be held on the NATO supply routes; from Quetta to Chaman, Karachi to Hyderabad, Multan to Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha to Mianwali, Peshawar to Khyber Pass, Rawalpindi to Chakwal Talagang, Faisalabad to Sargodha, Khushab and Islamabad, during the second phase of the protests.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2012.

COMMENTS (14)

Tony Singh | 11 years ago | Reply

@GS@Y: And then is asks why was he detained at a US airport

Tony Singh | 11 years ago | Reply

@GS@Y: Enjoying a free snack!!

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