Imran Khan addressing the rally in Peshawar on Saturday. PHOTO: MOHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
"We will not allow NATO supplies to pass from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and in any case will stop drone strikes," Imran told the gathering.
“Before the elections, we promised to bring peace to the country. But without drones being stopped, peace cannot be attained.
“For the first time in the history of Pakistan, a democratic government along with all other parties had agreed that the time for war had ended, and it is time for dialogue,” Imran said referring the the All Parties Conference (APC) in September. He reiterated that the drone strike which killed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud sabotaged the peace process.
Addressing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Imran said that the PTI had accepted the election results and Nawaz as the prime minister of the country. “We supported you, we stood by you. We hoped you would start the peace dialogue soon... We hoped that when you would go the US and meet President Obama, you will at least ask him to stop the drone strikes till the peace dialogue is taking place. But when you talked over there, you did not mention the drones at all.
“You have no idea about the devastation in K-P caused by this war,” Imran complained. Nawaz has not yet visited Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after elections in May.
Awami Muslim League (AML) President and MNA Sheikh Rasheed, who was the first speaker at the protest, said: “We are being killed by dengue, hepatitis, tuberculosis, electricity, gas, inflation as well as drones.”
He also criticised the federal government during his speech.
PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that when PTI chief Imran Khan was talking about drones, no one listened to him. “Now even the UN secretary general says that they [drone strikes] are in violation of international laws. They call it war crimes,” he said.
The Ring Road in Peshawar, which is the main supply route for Nato, and the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham was blocked to choke Nato supplies. Security measures were also taken to avoid any untoward situation.
When will the block start?
There was confusing scenes in Peshawar as PTI chief Imran Khan left the rally venue along with other PTI and allied leaders.
In what Imran had termed to be the beginning a blockade till the drone strikes stop, all those who had gathered in Peshawar for the rally and protest, left the rally venue soon after their political leaders.
This lead to confusion on when the actual block was due to begin.
Per a post by PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazaari on PTI's official facebook page, the actual block will start on Sunday night.
"From late tomorrow [Sunday] night our party workers along with our allies will stop NATO containers at chosen entry and exit points into KP from both directions indefinitely."
The post added that the supplies will be stopped at various locations in the province but the main location will be the "Ring Road Toll Plaza near Hayatabad."
#PTI & its allies will stop NATO supply in KP from late tomorrow night. Jalsa today was first step, @ShireenMazari1 http://t.co/4kfUC06I2I
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 23, 2013
She further clarified that Saturday's rally was the first step "in building up to this longer action."
Background
After the drone strike that killed Hakimullah Mehsud and sabotaged the fledgling peace initiative with militants, the PTI, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan had decided to block the Nato supply route from Peshawar to Torkham. The protest, initially planned for November 20 was postponed till November 23 (today) in view of the security situation.
A drone strike in K-P on November 21 angered Imran even further, who said that it was their “legal right to halt Nato supplies now that a US drone has hit the settled district of Hangu”.
COMMENTS (121)
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Imran Khan is doing all he can to get UN sanction on Pakistan...
This is going to be a watershed moment in the history of Pakistan.
Respect IK!!!
Hindus, don't abuse Islam and Pakistan. Moderators, please do a better job.
People are rightly saying that PTI is the Political Wing of TTP. Imran Khan is doing sit-in against drone strikes on Taliban leaders but has never done any sit-in with the 40000 aggrieved families whose loved ones have been killed in suicide blasts by TTP.
@Aysha M: Dear Aysha M I noticed you got 97 likes when doing a put-down on IK. I am somewhat perplexed as to where ET gets its readers from. In most newspapers you would have been lucky to get minus five, so do not feel too encouraged.
Excellent work PTI team but have you ever condemned, protested or blocked a road against bombing or suicide bombing.TTP claimed Ancholi blasts, Why are you silent?
@The Failed Rebel: "They OWE us. They owe us a lot more for taking part in the war which was NOT ours in the first place." The army says its our war, you're saying its their war (like Munawar Hassan). I can already see the influence of JI clouding their minds.
I want this Miserable Cat family party to be removed. They don’t have the guts to stand against the dual face America. Who is using Pakistan as a tissue Paper. Tell me: Dear PML-N supporters things aren’t get worst even to zardari period?
I want this Miserable Cat family party to be removed. They don’t have the guts to stand against the dual face America. Who is using Pakistan as a tissue Paper. Tell me: Dear PML-N supporters things aren’t get worst even to zardari period?
@Aysha M: Miss Aysha, the parliament is full of US bootlickers, If PTI presents a resolution to shoot down drones. All status quo parties will oppose it. Incl. your MQM.
@unbelievable: Dear unbelievable. You are talking your usual, unbelievable nonsense. The last embargo had a great economic effect on the illegal US war in Afghanistan.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Next comment from this guy: why do you wear clothes Imran khan. ET Surprisingly this guy's comment and Ayesha's comment get posted repeatedly most rest of us have a 1 comment quota. Maybe another blog by the esteemed e-desk can answer this question.
@observer: You are right I apologize! I meant to say: Alhamdulillah! This leader fails to disappoint! I support IK!
Imran Khan is doing very childish and cheap politics.He is a great risk for Pakistan.
Imran Khan is selling illusions to Pakistani people.
What did TTP say to Imran: We love you Brother. You are one of us.
don't understand how peace will be achieved after drone attacks stop. taliban will still be killing people no matter what, till they establish their notion of islamic emirate in pakistan. imran khan should stop fooling people.
Real peace can only come under the Taliban rule in the great leadership of Maulana IK -the Amir-ul-momneen.Guess the march to that freedom has started. TTP has already thanked IK by exploding areas of Karachi and kidnapping 9 polio workers.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Cool bro. I'll come next week. Tell saima to make her special biryani. Actually don't bother...I'll tell her myself, she's right here.
@The Only Normal Person Here: afganistan syria and iraq way ahead ..!!
@pashtunyar: you are talking about Musharaf right? Unlike turkey, I want a 'democratic ataturk' hope i don't sound crazy. . Am I?! ;-)
I am amazed at the ignorance of some folks here. They are celebrating drones and killing of TTP etc without even realizing where it is heading and what started all this in first place. Haqqanis were Americans' most brave friends, didn't they use to meet with US presidents in white house and then you declared them terrorists and started killing them. Those of you who rejoice these drones must understand the day is not far when these would turn against you too.
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
Americans themselves are trying to negotiate with Taliban for peace and honorable withdrawal from Afghanistan.
A. A Haqqani fund raiser eliminated in Islamabad.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/630360/senior-haqqani-network-leader-killed-near-islamabad/
B. And some more are Dead in a Drone attack
http://tribune.com.pk/story/635313/testing-new-limits-drone-hit-kills-senior-haqqani-leader-five-others/
I like the American way of 'negotiating for peace' with the Afghan Taliban.
Let Pakistan do the same with TTP.
It is funny to read posts from naive Pakistanis that are not well versed with their own nation's history of covert cooperation with the US, which dates back to 1957 when Hussain Suhrawardi agreed to allow US spy planes to fly from Peshawar on spying missions over the Soviet Union.
Pakistan has been in cahoots with CIA and NSA for decades and this relationship is not about to end anytime soon.
Imran Khan can cry himself hoarse nothing is going to change.
@The Failed Rebel:
Alhamdulillah! This leader doesn’t fail to disappoint!
Err... Ummm... Excuse me.
Your Freudian slip is showing.
@Uza Syed: You forgot to mention "how to complete an a UK asylum application" and money laundering. But joking aside, I don't think there is a single politican outside MQM who is jealous of Altaf....and probably not too many in MQM either.
@Mogambo: Thanks, I am already dead-------''you can now rest in peace''
@ali zain:
Hair replacement treatment is working out fine just bro! I see that you did not take up on my advise for retrofitting your upper deck with a healthy homosapien brain. Come to Karachi and I'll hook you up with something affordable frothe junkyards of Sher Shah Kabari Market :D :D
Pakistani politicians are like actors in a comedy of errors in a slapstick comedy movie. Sheikh Rashid and Imran Khan provide comedy relief with their antics and Mazari evokes laughter without doing much.
@oton: We¨ll, we had atleast pretending to be one!
@Aysha M:
First off - the Pakistan military decides foreign policy - not the Parliament. Secondly - the civilian govt has no control over the military. Also - do you really think the Pakistan military wants to start a shooting war with the USA? . Further - just how are you going to "starve" the USA? The vast majority of NATO supplies don't go through Pakistan and their demand for supplies gets less each day. One would think that everyone in Pakistan would have learned a lesson from the last embargo which had almost no impact on NATO or the Afghan war.
@Mogambo:
Brother Amrish Poori reloaded, I, @Ayesha M and @truekarachiwala are all from the same neighbourhood in Karachi.
I can't believe all those people who are supporting drones. You are supporting something which violates the sovereignty of your country irrespective of the fact that drones kill either terrorists or innocent civilians. Its like giving a free pass to Americans to come and bomb us and in return we get aid which is nothing in terms of all the money we borrow from IMF. On one hand, they keep us completely indebted and impose their infamous IMF conditionality upon us, while on the other hand, they bomb us. Someone rightly said 'Horn ahista bajaye, Yeh Qaum so rahe hai'. Wake up Pakistan.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Not as much as it sucks to be you! Hows that hair replacement treatment I recommended working out?
@Aysha M: i wish a drone strike your family, and you see the benefits & enjoy the so-called US aid, and live a happy life........i wish and pray for the people like you the puppet.....
fledging peace initiative with militants !!! are u kidding me? You don't negotiate with militants, you crush them. I think Pakistan is going be worse. let the drama begin. Peace and love from kaffir Indian हिंदू(hindu):D.
For God's sake, please take some real steps, sick and tired of TALKS!!!
@salman: No, you are right, he is not and can never ever be, no matter how envious and jealous of Altaf Husain he is. To be Altaf Husain, he has to learn a bit of humility and lot of dedication and devotion and wisdom and political savvy to win hearts and minds of a people. And to 'stage crashing or not is of no importance, what I fear and foresee is much worse and that would be accelerated destruction of all what PTI & this ImmyDimmy stand for, ideally by the same "friendly-apne-loags" aka Talibans.
@objective observer: LOL... this is the best you can come up with? obama setting pakistan 60 years back? and for stopping nato supplies? most post here indicates that pakistanis have become coward like their spineless leaders like noora and zoodari..
One can clearly see that the much chastised VIP culture is still part and parcel of Naya Pakistan. Why do you need all the cops around you Mr. Khan since you are very much at home of your TTP allies?
There can be no peace or negotiations with these uneducated ttp psychotic people. The Pak security forces must physically wipe them out or flush them back into Afghanistan with force.
Buhanahahahahahahaha! And the burgers had brought an 18 wheeler mobile McDs with them hoping that a make belief dharma would go on perpetually. But as always, their leader U-Turn Khan left them in a lurch and humiliated.
It really does suck to be a sheep herd troll, don't it?
@Aysha M: congratulation ayesha... you have officially become a beggar...
@san: how naive you are by calling great khan taliban khan and associating him with TTP.. IK's heart is in the right place and wants the best for the country, not like other corrupt paki politicians.. Hats off to great khan for sacrificing his personal live for his effort of making pakistan a better country for us ad our children.. unfortunately i dont see it happening with people like you around... This is coming from a atheist paksitani...
@Last Word: And you should be renamed from last word to Dead word.....no place for you on earth
I just wish US sends a drone to Karachi on Aysha M and True Karachi wala neighborhood. And one more to Lahore especially for Adnan Siddiqi. Phir maza aye ga!
@Jibran; The difference is "Will".
TTP held a meeting to thank IK/PTI for their support.Now that they are legitimized,they have decided to launch their live-bombs into major cities of Pakistan. Their aim is to be ruling Pakistan by the end of this year with IK as Amir-ul-Momneen.All investment by foreigners will be declared Haaraam. Government will set up madrassas in every corner. Higher education will consist in PhD in new ways to explode oneself.All secular sciences will be banned.Next the wholeworld!!!Dream ,dream !!!!!!!
If IK is right at his side then let me say drone strikes isn't start within one or two months ago but killing of Leader of TTP is occurred same time ago, then I think behind this scenario IK is protesting against Killing of Hakimulah he isn't against drone strikes if he is then he should raise this issue in parliament or senate not in public roads.
Well done Imran Khan go ahead and fight for a noble cause. PRO-US class will continue blaming every one who will rise against US and its vested interests. Victory or defeat is in the hands of Allah Almighty. PLZ go on with the grace of Allah Almighty.
@salman: Imagine if ordinary pakistanis are living in a rich or poor or middle class neighborhoods are killed on the streets by a suicide bomber in the name of religion will the Taliban apologist still continue to support these butchers.
You need to look at the PTI(the political wing and lap dog of TTP) and its leadership to understand the drama they are staging and mocking the thousands of innocent pakistani lives taken by TTP animals. Our govt and military needs to decide once and for all to start swat style action in waziristan, miramshah, south Punjab etc where these Butchers exist in different forms and shapes and stop their finances, stop their literature of hate and propoganda, stop patronizing them then nobody will have to come and drone them or do the work for us and will ensure peace for ordinary Pakistanis.
Imran Khan's well-wishers should advise him to leave politics and instead open a cricket academy where he can make a great contribution to cricket in this country. His stand on TTP and drone issue is so pathetic, he should be renamed from Taliban Khan to 'Terrible Khan'.
I have no desire to be a part of disabled nation, even Afghans can do loya jarga to ask Nato what they want and Nato have to agree to their terms. While, cowardliness and selfishness at its height in our country!! SHARAM MAGAR TUM KO NAHE AATE
@Aysha M: You have lots of hopes of the army? you are with it!
Rex Minor
@Aysha M: Have you ever heard of a nation who stood up on their own feet, stop begging for hand outs and tighten your belts, the extravagant life style of some of you people should stop and think about your country for a change. Americans themselves are trying to negotiate with Taliban for peace and honorable withdrawal from Afghanistan. You are sitting in Karachi and has no idea what is going on in K-P, my home land. Do you really think that NS will stand up to Americans or even to Brits and Saudis, he has large investments in those countries and will go along what ever they tell him. By the way your leader is also sitting in London with out any apparent job but some how living a very luxurious life. You have no room to talk, hypocrisy is the trade mark of you people calling your self Mohajirs instead of Pakistanis from Sindh even after 65 years.
@san: Dude, you are stupidest person i ever came to know, regards.
@Shah: I know today they are not.....as far as we know. But imagine tomorrow if they do start hiding out in lahore and karachi? Would we be ok with having drones drop on those cities? If we dont protest now, we wont be able to protest then.
Just compare the number of maniacs showing up in anti-drone dharna with the number of people showing up for solidarity with the peaceful Baloch Long Marchers. For the Baloch participants of the long march, when did the Pakistani state considered peaceful people a stakeholder? Only terrorists of the likes of TTP, LeJ, ASWJ, and the pressure groups like LeT are the stakeholders. It is their interests and rights PMLN and PTI have sworn to guard.
@Ch. Allah Daad: I wouldn't call mian sahib our best and brightest
go a head, we are with u
@Xnain: I don't understand your point. They OWE us. They owe us a lot more for taking part in the war which was NOT ours in the first place. Taliban(not TTP) were anything but against Pakistan, and they continued to be so till we started killing them. TTP has only and only gained support of more militants against Pakistani Forces because we are annihilating them under foreign pressure. $100b+ spent on the war. (Should have been ~$60b, had it not been for inflation and the increase in the cost of weaponry) Atleast do slight homework! We need to wake up and look into history to infer that who is the real enemy of Pakistan.
@objective observer:
things were better 60 years ago
Stockholm syndrome at its peak. did someone tell imran khan about twin blasts in karachi, claimed by TTP? if TTP has a right to kill innocent pakistanis in blasts as a revenge of US drone strike, wht are the rights of victims of blasts by monster TTP?? from who should they take revenge??
Blockade ended in the evening. No big deal! This kind of jesture reminded me of Late Qazi Hussain's famous dharnas and long marches. All halaboo and no impact.So don't worry NATO you are allowed to run your containers during night. Remember, nowadays in winters, nights are longer than days!!
What is the distinction between TTP and PMLN-PTI duo? All three agree on almost everything.
Imran Khan is right, drones must stop, there should be peace in Pakistan, we should respect our ullm e karam and TTP is doing right to help us live in true Islmic state. PTI and JI and Shaheed Hakeem ullah jeeay
One other thing I would warn Mr. Imran Khan about. Obama is having a turbulent political time right now in America. The last thing you want to do is tempt an American President looking to change the subject. Within 48 hours he may just decide to set your country back 60 years.
@salman. Drones are not targeting other places like Lahore or Karachi because there is no credible evidence that terrorist are hiding there. Most of the people in the area are not helping or hiding terrorist. Time has again and again proved that terrorist are hiding in FATA and now in NWFP mainland. The sensible thing to do would be to go in there and arrest them. Take action against illegal stay in our Country by these terrorists.
@salman: Thank you for your profound understanding of the US functioning. It's amazing how people forget history. Open the American history, they are a nation which slaughters its own friends once the use has been done. Haqqanis, Talibans were previously American friends. My people are either gullible, or payed to criticize positive steps by the PTI. It should be clear by now that those who still support the current rulers are completely oblivious to the deplorable conditions our poor and middle class is living in. If they are not oblivious, then they are payed. I hope for the sake of my people, that Sharif, Zardari, and Chaudhry dynasties are annihilated by military action. Pakistan will remain hopeless till the likes of them rule, and their heirs are chosen as future leadership of the respective parties.
Imran Khan and PTI should at least have the guts to stand and condemn the attacks in Karachi yesterday where innocent Pakistanis were murdered. To make us think the end of drones will remove the menace of TTP and ideology of violence is living in fools paradise.
@The Failed Rebel: "Changes are apparent in KPK!" 50 Million $s aid accepted from USAID. 350 Million $ aid accepted from NATO and still staging a dharna against both of them. Indeed change is apparent in KPK.
@Aysha M: Dont worry...stage wont collapse. Altaf bhai isnt on it :)
@Aysha M: At least he's not altaf hussain. The greatest singer/comedian in the history of pakistan politics :)
The coward so-called leaders of other parties i.e. AH, BB hiding abroad just mouthing off per usual and NS just an apologist and does not thing. PTI leaders and supporters have raised their voices with action more times than any other defunct in conviction aforementioned parties.
Congratulations to enemies of Pakistan. Our best and brightest is on your side.
Imran Khan is no puppet. He is a true Pakistani nationalist and patriot. God bless him. Pakistan is with him forever.
Peace with TTP who have declared war against the state of Pakistan? Death to TTP. Thank you USA.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Agreed. But even higher height of hypocrisy is nawaz saying one thing at home and the going and bowing his head in front of Obama. Regretting I voted pmln....
Imagine if a terrorist/TTP person is found in a rich suburb of lahore, karachi or islamabad, and the US takes him out with a drone strike. Would all the pro drone posters here still support drones. Now imagine if the drone strike was on your neighbours house and (God forbid) one of your family members got hurt or killed. Would you still support drone strikes?
Please look at the issue...not the political party making it. Today there is a drone strike in KP. Tomorrow it could be sindh or punjab. Think about it....
Proud of IK... and PTIANS
@True Karachiwala:
And the US Government has raised the Defense Readiness Condition to unprecedented DEFCON 1!! President Obama has asked the Pope to lead a special vigil on Sunday Mass at the Vatican in the face of PTI's warpath :D
@Uza Syed: No worries, not spreading because the liberal, secular and progressive Karachites are adequately immunized for over 3 decades
we need an ataturk! Really
@Aysha M: IK might or might not be "the greatest tragedy" in the political history but he certainly is most dangerous virus that has attacked the simpletons in Pakistan and spreading like epidemic and must be avoided further exposure to this deadly & venomous disease.
KPK CM Pervaiz was missing during the Dharna, I guess he went out of his chars stock.
@True Karachiwala: :)
Nothing more than a political martyr. If so much concerned about conscience and respect ask military to cancel all arms & ammunition contracts with US first....? Within 15 Days two haqqani leaders targeted and killed..which have been assets of an institution sometime back....I think some people have started co-operating as were being demanded. These protests sound nothing more than a hoax.
@Khattak:
And herpes
Imran Khan, the greatest tragedy in the history of political kind
Imran Khan Zindabad!! The only leader who has the guts to talk against illegal drone attacks, because his money isn't kept in banks abroad. Those trolls attacking PTI, should ask themselves if Nawaz/Zardari can protest against drone attacks. Our PM is so scared, he didn't even talk about drone attacks with Obama!! PTI ZINDABAD!!
After effects of drug abuse
Emergency declared at Pentagon and NATO to discuss the aftermath of "Dharna " in Peshawar. Henry Kissinger has been specially invited to help out Obama administration and NATO to deal with historic challenge posed by PTI. Media has been stopped from covring the video conference between Pentagon and NATO HQ being presided over by President Obama and NATO SC Anders Rasmussen jointly.
Were drone strikes in violation of international laws and war crime when you were proudly toasting to Hillary Clinton, Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi? There were a total of 219 drone attacks under your watch as Foreign Minister! I guess the post of UN Secretary General did not exist in that era or drone attacks were not in violation of international laws then.
Height of hypocrisy!!!
here come drone apologist trolls now....
Some call Imran Khan a secularist as a insult while others call him a extremest. With a reputation like that he must be doing something right.
Alhamdulillah! This leader doesn't fail to disappoint! Changes are apparent in KPK! I wish more Pakistanis had voted for him! The incumbent rulers are worthless; spineless hypocrites.
Rubbish. Even the military has stopped blaming the American's for the slaughter taking place in Pakistan - they know that when the American's pack up and leave Afghanistan things aren't going to magically get better - in fact they suspect there going to get worse. Taliban Khan is a pathetic politician who panders to anti USA sentiment to distract/explain why he can't manage his province.
Blocking NATO supply is no panacea
Develop ver y strong relationship with the international community and stopy to encourage banned outfit, drone attacks will be stopped immediately.Please do not play with drone politics try to understand the world politica, NATO, means more than 40 countries----playing their role,
I feel pity for IK' supporters dreaming for naya Pakistan but so far nothing but dharnas and gerao jalo along with lotas of different colours for their satisfaction.
Keeping in view of the last protests of PTI, it would be not wrong to say that is political gaining and in evening it will end peacefully without closing NATO supplies. At the concluding speech, warning to US and PAK govt will be given. Protest OVER. PEACE and make nation fool.
An Abandoned child protesting against his father america..sorry to say..great grand father...lol.....
" we are being killed...". Nice touch of unity with TTP bcoz so far i used to think its TTP getting killed mainly. I dont think drones are legal but I dont care about these rascals enough to make a noise about it bcoz no matter how forgetful sheikh sahab pretends to be, "we" are getting killed by the bomb blasts these animals do. If the government looks closely at the ashira blast of 2010, they might as well find who did the rawalpindi riots on this ashura.
Hope the stage doesnt collapse
Dear Sheikhu - Did you care to enlighten your audience that it was you who was at the beck and call of your Abbu Ji Syed Pervaiz Musharraf when the secrets pacts were formalized for CIA to launch drone attacks from Pakistani airbases?
Why cant PTI convince the parliament to issue orders to shoot down drones, our forces will carry it out. We can then wait for sanctions from NATO countries and the US and starve.
Taliban Khan should be ashamed of himself by joining hands with TTP mass murderers. If US could have taken Haqqani Bother in Islamabad through drone, then I do hope everyone would have understoodd by now how serious is for America and Pakistan to eliminate theses monsters.
I will urge people come on Street it is time and Show the west we are humans and we have self respect. Today if we showed the world by our presences as people did in London.
It is defining moment rather to sit on TV channels, we have come up to raise the voice. Wish my nation great future.
Heads you lose. Tails you lose. This is Nawaz Shariff's conundrum right now.