Pakistani army stops Imran Khan's anti-US group
Source: Agencies |
October 8, 2012, Monday
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THE Pakistani military blocked a convoy carrying thousands of Pakistanis and a small contingent of US anti-war activists from entering a lawless tribal region along the border with Afghanistan yesterday to protest American drone strikes.
The group, led by cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan and his political party, was turned back just miles from the border of South Waziristan. After an hour of fruitless negotiations, Khan said the caravan would backtrack to the city of Tank, about 15 kilometers away. There, he delivered a speech to the crowd of about 10,000.
Khan has harshly criticized the Pakistani government's cooperation with Washington in the fight against Islamist militants. He has been especially outspoken against US drone strikes targeting militants and has argued that the country's alliance with Washington is the main reason Pakistan is facing a homegrown Taliban insurgency. He has suggested before that militant activity in Pakistan's tribal areas will dissipate when the US ends the war across the border in Afghanistan.
"We want to give a message to America that the more you carry out drone attacks, the more people will hate you," Khan told the crowd.
Anti-US sentiment
The high anti-American sentiment was evident in the crowd that waved banners saying "Down with America," and "The friend of America is the traitor of the nation."
Pakistan's tribal regions, such as North and South Waziristan, border Afghanistan and serve as bases for militant groups such as the Taliban to stage raids across the border into Afghanistan.
The protest convoy of about 150 cars set out on Saturday from the capital Islamabad, traveled 400 kilometers and then stopped overnight in the city of Dera Ismail Khan. The plan for the second and final day was to travel another 120 kilometers to reach Kotkai in South Waziristan. But the military stopped the convoy in the town of Kawar.
Khan told the rally that they wanted to continue their journey to Kotkai, but the army said it was too late, and going inside South Waziristan at night was dangerous. Khan said he didn't want to put his supporters in danger, so he turned the rally around to Tank.
Thousands of supporters had turned out along the route to cheer on the convoy, which stretched about 15 kilometers. Some of those packed into the vehicles waved flags for Khan's political group and chanted: "We want peace."
The group, led by cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan and his political party, was turned back just miles from the border of South Waziristan. After an hour of fruitless negotiations, Khan said the caravan would backtrack to the city of Tank, about 15 kilometers away. There, he delivered a speech to the crowd of about 10,000.
Khan has harshly criticized the Pakistani government's cooperation with Washington in the fight against Islamist militants. He has been especially outspoken against US drone strikes targeting militants and has argued that the country's alliance with Washington is the main reason Pakistan is facing a homegrown Taliban insurgency. He has suggested before that militant activity in Pakistan's tribal areas will dissipate when the US ends the war across the border in Afghanistan.
"We want to give a message to America that the more you carry out drone attacks, the more people will hate you," Khan told the crowd.
Anti-US sentiment
The high anti-American sentiment was evident in the crowd that waved banners saying "Down with America," and "The friend of America is the traitor of the nation."
Pakistan's tribal regions, such as North and South Waziristan, border Afghanistan and serve as bases for militant groups such as the Taliban to stage raids across the border into Afghanistan.
The protest convoy of about 150 cars set out on Saturday from the capital Islamabad, traveled 400 kilometers and then stopped overnight in the city of Dera Ismail Khan. The plan for the second and final day was to travel another 120 kilometers to reach Kotkai in South Waziristan. But the military stopped the convoy in the town of Kawar.
Khan told the rally that they wanted to continue their journey to Kotkai, but the army said it was too late, and going inside South Waziristan at night was dangerous. Khan said he didn't want to put his supporters in danger, so he turned the rally around to Tank.
Thousands of supporters had turned out along the route to cheer on the convoy, which stretched about 15 kilometers. Some of those packed into the vehicles waved flags for Khan's political group and chanted: "We want peace."
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