PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership has decided to meet on Sunday (today) to chalk out its course of action regarding closure of Nato supply routes.
PTI provincial information secretary Ishtiaq Urmar told The Express Tribune his party’s provincial cabinet along with presidents and general secretaries of regional chapters will attend the moot. He added their aim is to devise a future strategy with regard to shutting down Nato supply routes, following which the leadership will announce its decision at a news conference at Officer’s Mess.
Urmar said since it is a party meeting, it will be presided over by PTI’s provincial president and K-P Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser.
The meeting is significant as it will give a clearer picture of what the provincial government intends to do to shut down the supply route. The issue cropped up after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a drone strike in North Waziristan earlier this month.
PTI chairman Imran Khan then threatened to block Nato supplies going through Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to foreign troops stationed in Afghanistan if the US did not end its drone campaign in the tribal areas. He also accused the US of sabotaging peace talks with the Taliban by killing Hakimullah at a time when he had showed willingness to negotiate.
The provincial government also convened a special assembly session on November 4 wherein it unanimously passed a resolution against drone attacks and passage of Nato supplies. The resolution, which came after much deliberation between the government and opposition members, urged the federal government to take concrete steps to put an end to drone strikes and suggest ways to halt Nato supplies going through the country. The resolution gave the centre till November 20 to do the same, claiming the provincial government would otherwise be independent to pursue its own course of action.
Meanwhile, K-P Minister for Finance Sirajul Haq reiterated November 20 will be the day of closure of Nato supplies, adding the federal government should make an announcement in this regard.
In a party statement issued following a meeting of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to discuss a sit-in at its provincial headquarters, Haq said thousands of party activists will attend the proposed protest. The statement said Haq told participants of the meeting, which was attended by JI’s leadership, the government should review its foreign policy in light of the recommendations put forward by the recent All-Parties Conference (APC) and joint parliamentary resolution. Haq stressed drone attacks were not only a violation of human rights, but also the country’s sovereignty.
During the meeting, JI’s K-P ameer Bahrullah Khan told participants thousand of activists will attend the dharna and local chapters of JI have been directed to mobilise as many people as possible. It also said Haq called PTI provincial president Asad Qaiser on Saturday to discuss a strategy to ensure the sit-in’s success.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2013.
COMMENTS (34)
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@Abid P. Khan: Yes. Not only usa, but also europe and middle east. Difference being he was not asking the govts of those countries but individuals..mainly pakistani expats. But hey, at least he is bringing money into pak, rather then taking money out of pak to buy apartments on park lane or chateau s in france. A fact that is often missed by mini shers!
@Khan: "Imran Khan if you want to start, why don’t you start at home by refusing to accept $50 million us dollars of us aid that come to your part of the country. I doubt very much you have the guts to say NO to US money do you?" . Was it not the same Imran Khan who toured the US with a begging bowl?
IK, you constituency of Rawalpindi is burning and you are worried about KPK where you have no power. Whom are you really representing? Seems like saving the Taliban is more important for than saving your voters in Rawalpindi.
World biggest shame is losing Sovereignty to others. it happened to your country . I think he is correct . Listen to him . And don't troll that you have nuke , army blah blah . Listen to him . Stop nato and show your Sovereignty otherwise you are failed state only
@Aysha M: Yes, he should be more like our sher PM. The country is burning, but have you ever seen him worried? No! Thats a real sher!
A step in the the right direction.
@ Ahmed Can you name the 3ministers CM KPK has fired on corruption?? According to all media reports, the only 2 ministers fired on corruption were Bakht Baidar Khan & Ibrar Hussain - both from QWP. As a retaliation the Senior Minister of KPK (& head of parliamentary party in KPK) Sikander Sherpao has resigned in protest, broke QWP's alliance with PTI and showed letter written by Imran Khan meddling in the government affairs. Surprisingly, no action has been taken against corruption of PTI ministers. The PTI Minister, fired by CM KPK in November, is Yousaf Ayub who has already been disqualified by High Court in September 2013. It is nothing more than an eyewash to "fire" a person who has already been disqualified by the Court... the facts misunderstood by PTI trolls
buzdil khan
He is so free, ask him to cleanup blocked drains, kaccha naallas, repair trafic signals, remove left over or sticky poster, banners, this will help to beautify our country, but he will not. Dear pti supporters, do not commit this sin again by supporting this crazy confuse khan.
@KPK: It's better for you to grow up and stop protecting hard core militants who are only sincere to there cause and they have no link with Islam or Pakistan at all. Look most of the time who are killed in drone attacks and also who are killed in suiside bomb attacks in revenge for drone attacks you will get the answer
Difficult Questions & Easy Answers
Q: Why did Imran Khan get angry at the death of Mehsud? A: He did not. He got angry over death of negotiations.
Q: Taliban do not recognize our constitution, why dialogue with them? A: Precisely because they do NOT recognize it.
Q: Why to stop drones or Nato Supply? A: Justification of Jihad against Army being US proxy will finish.
Q: Why would US deliberately sabotage peace process? A: So that history does not repeat itself. Russia Episode
Q: Why should we not launch an operation against TTP? A: Sure do but after divorcing USA.
Q: Those who advocate talks with TTP are Taliban Apologists? A: Then USA is also Taliban Apologist, Israelis are Palestinian Apologist, British Government was IRA Apologist and Pakistani politicians are BLA apologists.
Final Nail in Pakistan's Coffin. Thank you Imran for showing us the way to complete destruction....further proves...WE ARE TRULY PAKISTANIS!!!!!!
@sabi: Agree with your comment. Imran with this cowardly attitude is a huge disappointment for his followers at home and even abroad. His only mantra is to save these barbarians from drones but not utter a word of condemnation against those who have slaughtered thousands of innocent people like herd of sheep. Despite his abject surrender in front of TTP, they have still attacked police personnel yesterday, and it is unlikely that they will hold talks even if he blocks NATO supplies.
@Ch. Allah Daad: The day when US drones will Fly over Lahore and will Bomb Punjabi Taliban or Lashkr Jhangvi terrorists, I will be very much looking forward to see your comments.
People like Mr. Sabi constitute a good enough percentage of our society who have no self esteem, pride, honour and things required to be called a sovereign nation. No wonder, we are in this state. I believe Imran Khan is wasting his time on a selfish and strange nation. They don't have a problem living like slaves, just keep pouring dollars and they'll be happy.
i think mr sabi does not know that CM KPK have fired 3 ministers on corruption. so according to mr sabi taking action against corruption is a bad thing.
@sabi: So blocking NATO supplies is destructive for the country? So maybe taliban are right when they claim we have sold our soules for dollars.
Imran Khan if you want to start, why don't you start at home by refusing to accept $50 million us dollars of us aid that come to your part of the country. I doubt very much you have the guts to say NO to US money do you?
This man is stressed out. He can use a long break before he causes more damage to the people of Pakistan
Grow up Imran. Don't become a tool in the hands of terrorists.
They don't call him Taliban Khan for nothing. If the Taliban thought that closing down the NATO supply line would stop drone attacks they would have done so years ago. Further - last time Pakistan shut down NATO supply line it had no impact on drones or terrorist attacks - another one of those elephant in the room things that Pakistani's never seem to see.
@ Sabi, my fried is there a single party in Pakistan which has introduced some kind of a policy about terrorism? I have not come across any. "If you do not know where you are going then every path leads you there". At least this man has a policy and he sticks to his conviction. As far as the cricket is concerned, well, my friend this is the same man who gave belief to individual crickets to stand up and fight like cornered tigers, and helped draw a test series against the best in the business.
@sabi: LOL! Grow up dude!
PTI PTI PTI is that all you got ET!!!!
This man, IK, has nothing constructive but destruction agenda for Pakistan.Like cricket he considers Pakistan as his opponent which needs to be clean bowled for his selfish desires.He believes he can provoke some Generals in the name of law and order to step in and present him the crown in plate.His supporters sketched sky scraper image of Peshawar while in seven months they have to see cases of corruptions and nepotism.He will get nothing but earn shame while Pakistan will survive honorably..