Anti-US Drones March Started From Islamabad

Islamabad, Oct 7, IRNA – A Pakistani political party, led by cricketer-turned politician, Imran Khan, Saturday started a long march towards the country’s tribal region against the U.S. drone strikes. Khan, who heads Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) or Justice Movement, is leading the 'Peace March' that is scheduled to reach South Waziristan tribal region on Sunday after an overnight stay on the way. Pakistani Taliban Friday said that they would not provide protection to the march as was earlier reported by the local media. The Taliban spokesman said Imran Khan has organized march for political motives and that he has no sympathy with the people of Waziristan. The Interior Ministry has warned that Taliban could attack foreigners and the PTI leadership in the march, advising the party to give up the plan. But Imran said Saturday that he will proceed to South Waziristan as per plan. He told the media persons, who are accompanying from Islamabad, that he hopes the government will not intervene. “The government should support my peace march as it is against the American drone strikes if the government also opposes these attacks,” he said. He said that the march will be stopped wherever the government created hurdles for the marcher. Hundreds of supporters and leaders of PTI started the march from Islamabad and Khan said more people will join the march on the way. The participants were holding placards and banners, inscribed with slogans against the U.S. drone strikes in the tribal regions of Pakistan. Dozens of tribesmen were also among the participants who were beating drums and dancing in their traditional way. Khan said that the march was organized to draw the world attention to the destruction caused by the U.S. strikes and it has no political motives. 'If any attack was carried out on the march, I will hold the government responsible for any such incident,' the PTI chief said. A group of foreign and local media is also accompanying the march, the first ever such event. Earlier reports suggested that Taliban have decided to provide protection to the march but the group’s spokesman Friday denied reports, accusing Imran Khan of having secular ideas. “As Imran Khan is a Liberal Secular person & so is his Party, so we deny all baseless news stating that we have offered to provide him security for his so called Peace Rally,” Ihsan-ullah-Ihsan, Central Spokesman of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP said. “One thing I want to say is that Imran Khan's so called Peace March is not in sympathy of drone hit Muslims instead it's a try by him to increase his Political Height,” Ihsan said in a statement, emailed to the media. Authorities in South Waziristan say that the marchers will not be allowed to enter South Waziristan in view of the uncertain situation in the tribal region. Officials say that foreigners are not allowed to reach the tribal regions without prior permission and that the foreigners in the march have not yet applied for special permission./end