Imran Khan announces peace march to Waziristan on October 6

In order to express solidarity with the people of the tribal areas and to protest against US drone strikes, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has announced that he along with 1, 000, 00 people would visit South Waziristan on October 6.

Addressing a news conference, the cricketer-turned-politician asked the government to step down if it cannot protect the lives of citizens.

He observed, “About 100,000 people, including a sister-in-law of former British premier Tony Blair and members of the families of American soldiers who had died during the so-called war on terror, will take part in the march”.

The PTI took almost a couple of months to finalize the date for the peace-march which its chief had announced in July 2012.

It is vital to mention here the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had threatened to target the former captain if he entered into their stronghold in South Waziristan Agency (SWA).

Although the TTP spokesperson denied the news items, he said that the final decision in this regard would be taken after meeting of the banned outfit.

Despite the threats the former cricketer didn’t change his plan and announced that he would lead peace march towards Waziristan.

Imran Khan said, “Pakistan has been fighting America’s so-called war against terror for eight years which had only resulted in an increase in extremism in the country”.

He further said that the country had lost 40, 000 people and faced a loss of $70 billion in the last eight years in the head of war on terror.

In his view, military operation in North Waziristan would lead towards more disasters in the country.

The former captain said that three million people had been displaced up till now because of army operations in the tribal areas.

As many as 12 drone strikes had taken place within 24 hours last week in tribal areas, he added.

Expressing reservations over poor law and order situation in the country, the PTI chief said that people were being killed in Gilgit-Baltistan, Karachi, Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

He lamented, “The government has been putting all the responsibility on foreign elements but it is not an excuse”. He asked the government to resign if he couldn’t control law and order situation in the country.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Sep 5 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.