Preaching peace: With little funding, PTI activists prepare for rally
The famous circular road of DI Khan is flourished with boards and banners, but not of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is expected to arrive for its ‘peace march’ today (Saturday).
PTI chairman Imran Khan is about to take 100,000 people, including international media and human rights groups, to South Waziristan for the rally on October 6.
The boards attached to electricity poles in the middle of Circular Road either congratulate the newly-appointed Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) provincial president or National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi for inaugurating the 220 KV grid station in the village of Yarak in DI Khan. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl chief Mualana Fazlur Rehman also features on boards for his development projects in DI Khan.
But in some areas, there are banners welcoming the PTI’s leadership. However, they are limited to a few signs with a picture of local PTI leader Amin Khan Gandapur. “There has been no funding from the PTI for these advertisements. We got them made ourselves,” said Akhunzada Hussain Ahmad, K-P president for the Insaf Students Federation (ISF).
South Waziristan ISF Chief Abdul Wahid Mehsud told The Express Tribune that on October 6 a meeting of the ISF and other PTI leaders from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) will be held to finalise arrangements.
Mehsud said that the security team, comprising of people from the Shiranee, Bhittani areas and Mehsud tribes will not carry weapons.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2012.
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One thing we need to appreciate about daredevil Imran. He has the guts to go ahead with the march. It will be interesting to see what other political heads, armchair TV anchors and religious heads would do in a similar situation. I have a feeling that Imran khan is wasting his energy and resiurces to try to win over incorrigible Talibans. An internationally isolated Pakistan cannot do anything to stop the drone strikes. Pakistan has zero leverage against the US. The only reason Syrian government still survives is due to the unconditional backing of Russia. Pakistan should get Russia to its side at any cost if the country wants to survive after 2014.
IK is taking foreigners along with him to waziristan. I hope he and his worthy advisers know that foreigners are not allowed to enter tribal areas without the permission of home department even in peace time. This is the law of the land.