Blocking business: JI asks carriage contractors to turndown NATO supply jobs

K-P government’s sit-in enters fourth day, 39 trucks checked before allowed passage.

NOWSHERA/ PESHAWAR/ BANNU:

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) asked carriage contractors to refuse to pick up Nato supply containers from Karachi so supplies to troops in Afghanistan are completely blocked.

JI Peshawar Amir Bahrullah Advocate told The Express Tribune on Tuesday, “We have asked truck owners to join us and refuse to carry goods for Nato forces, the Almighty will provide them with better sustenance.”

The federal government needs to fulfil its obligations and protect its citizens from being attacked by outsiders, argued Bahrullah. At a joint press conference, Bahrullah and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) general secretary Younas Zahir shared Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government’s coalition partners will continue their sit-in until the US government is compelled to stop drones which violate international laws. Coalition parties will unite the public to severe NATO supply lines, claimed Bahrullah.

Sit-ins

Meanwhile, sit-ins against drone strikes entered the fourth consecutive day whereby containers carrying Nato supplies were not allowed to pass through the city.



Activists of JI and PTI gathered at the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway Interchange and Hayatabad Toll Plaza to monitor trucks passing through.

On Tuesday, the activists thoroughly checked 39 trucks and allowed them to pass as they were carrying local goods for Afghanistan. Similarly, on Monday night, 29 trucks were searched to ensure they were not loaded with supplies for troops.

“We left our homes with hopes to completely block the Nato supply line till we are assured drone attacks will stop,” said PTI Peshawar Information Secretary Wali Khan who was leading the sit-in at the Motorway Interchange.

Khan shared trucks are allowed to go through once drivers produce proper documents. PTI MPAs and MNAs Iftikhar Mashwani, Mehmood Jan and Sajid Nawaz also visited the sit-in.

Shot fired

At the Hayatabad Toll Plaza protest camp, Pishtakhara police arrested a man identified as Lal Zaman after he fired a gun following a brawl with another person near the sit-in. Fortunately, no one was injured. According to PTI Peshawar General Secretary Younas Zaheer, he had investigated the incident thoroughly and found neither Zaman nor the person he fought with were PTI activists.

Nowshera

Activists of coalition parties continued their sit-in for the fourth consecutive day in Khairabad, Nowshera. The activists also prevented some trucks carrying Nato supplies from proceeding towards Afghanistan.

PTI Nowshera leader Malik Ibrar Khan who heads the district monitoring committee addressed protesters and claimed Peshawar’s historic sit-in proved the people’s confidence in PTI.

Bannu

PTI workers set up a camp at Bakakhel on the Bannu-Miranshah Road. Malik Khan Bahadar, an elder of Mahmandkhel tribe, told party workers: “The blockade is proof we are not like the federal rulers who are still backing policies of the US, obeying their dictates.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2013.