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Thousands protest drone strikes, block Nato supplies in Peshawar
AGENCIES and DAWN.COM
PTI chief Imran Khan has vowed to block Nato supplies from passing through KP until US drone strikes end.— File photo
Updated 2013-11-23 18:04:06
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PESHAWAR: Thousands of demonstrators protesting US drone strikes on Saturday blocked a main road in Peshawar used to truck Nato troop supplies and equipment in and out of Afghanistan.
The protest was led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and his party, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) along with their allies in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government.
The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad (AJIP) also confirmed their participation.
''We will put pressure on America, and our protest will continue if drone attacks are not stopped,'' Khan told the protesters.
“We are here to give a clear message that now Pakistanis cannot remain silent over drone attacks,” Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a senior member of the PTI, said in a speech to the protesters.
Party workers of the PTI and JI had arrived in the provincial capital from across the country. According to some estimates, around 10,000 people participated in Saturday’s protest. The protesters shouted anti-US slogans, such as “Down with America” and “Stop drone attacks.”
Strict security arrangements were put in place by the provincial government, including deployment of over 500 polce personnel to ensure safety and order. Transporters were directed to use alternative routes.
“I am participating in today’s sit-in to convey a message to America that we hate them since they are killing our people in drone attacks,” said Hussain Shah, a 21-year-old university student. “America must stop drone attacks for peace in our country.”
The US Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment on the protest at the present time.
The protest comes only two days after a rare US drone strike outside of Pakistan’s remote tribal region killed six people, including senior commanders of the Haqqani network, at a seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district.
The attack outraged Pakistani officials, as did one on Nov 1 that killed the former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, a day before the Pakistani government said it was going to invite him to hold peace talks.
Ring Road leads to Torkham, one of two border crossings used to ship supplies from Pakistan to Afghanistan, and is a key transit route to transport supplies to Nato troops in the war-torn country.
Tahir Khan, a government official at Torkham, says there is normally little Nato supply traffic on the route on Saturdays. Most trucks arrive at the border by Friday evening to clear customs.
‘Sit-in to continue until drone strikes stop’
PTI chief Imran Khan has been a vocal critic of US drone strikes, saying they violate Pakistan's sovereignty.
Speaking to reporters earlier in Islamabad before heading to Peshawar for the demonstration, Khan said that the federal government was doing nothing on its part to stop drone attacks and the protest against the strikes would continue indefinitely.
Khan said that apart from issuing condemnation statements, nothing concrete had been done to put an effective stop to drone attacks.
He said that he had been protesting against drone attacks for the past nine years, but the government had yet to do anything about it.
Khan said Nato supplies would not be allowed to pass via KP, adding that the PTI-led government in the province possessed the mandate to block Nato supplies.
He moreover said PTI had promised to eradicate corruption from the country and it would fulfill its promise.
TTP claims responsibility for twin bomb attacks in Karachi
AFP
A Pakistani man rushes to a hospital carrying a child injured in a bomb blast, in Karachi early Saturday. -Photo by AP
Updated 2013-11-23 13:04:45
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KARACHI: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility Saturday fortwin bomb attacks in Karachi overnight that killed at least seven people and wounded at least 28 others.
Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for umbrella group TTP, told AFP that the attacks in Karachi were carried out in revenge for violence in Rawalpindi on November 15.
He said the attacks were aimed at Shias in Karachi, and vowed further violence.
“It was to avenge the Rawalpindi incident, we will carry out more such attacks to avenge the killing of Sunnis,” Shahid told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.
Fighting erupted in the garrison-city of Rawalpindi, which neighbours the capital Islamabad, earlier this month when a procession by Shia Muslims to mark the most important day of the mourning month of Muharram coincided with a sermon at a nearby Sunni mosque.
The groups clashed with each other, TV cameramen and security forces.
Officials said 11 people were killed and more than 60 injured while a Sunni mosque and seminary and an adjacent cloth market were burnt, with Sunni groups blaming Shia protesters.
Thousands of people in major cities across the country, including Karachi, protested amid high security on Friday after Sunni groups called for demonstrations against the Rawalpindi violence.
The explosions overnight in Karachi Friday took place within minutes of each other in the city's bustling, predominantly Shia neighbourhood of Ancholi.
Karachi, a city of 18 million people which contributes 42 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, is rife with murder and kidnappings and has been plagued with sectarian, ethnic, and political violence for years.
The TTP has been behind hundreds of bomb and gun attacks that have fanned instability in Pakistan, killing more than 6,500 soldiers, police and civilians since 2007.
just few thousands, in dam big province?
count the votes PTI got, in the genrl elections & now few thousands!
its look like, sunami back to gutters part 2!
all this dharni against drone attacks were done to stop, drones which is the only lethal weapon, against a army of killers , & thugs called TTp, who still are bzy killing innocent pakistanis, & spreading the sectarien wars?
PTI & JI are the political fronts, of TTp offering them offices, calling them innocent tribals, giving them the SHUDAA,s badges, plz stop supporting them, cause in the thier agenda is anti/ pakistan & give free hand to the terrorists?
AGENCIES and DAWN.COM
PTI chief Imran Khan has vowed to block Nato supplies from passing through KP until US drone strikes end.— File photo
Updated 2013-11-23 18:04:06
Share
0 Comment(s)
PESHAWAR: Thousands of demonstrators protesting US drone strikes on Saturday blocked a main road in Peshawar used to truck Nato troop supplies and equipment in and out of Afghanistan.
The protest was led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and his party, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) along with their allies in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government.
The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad (AJIP) also confirmed their participation.
''We will put pressure on America, and our protest will continue if drone attacks are not stopped,'' Khan told the protesters.
“We are here to give a clear message that now Pakistanis cannot remain silent over drone attacks,” Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a senior member of the PTI, said in a speech to the protesters.
Party workers of the PTI and JI had arrived in the provincial capital from across the country. According to some estimates, around 10,000 people participated in Saturday’s protest. The protesters shouted anti-US slogans, such as “Down with America” and “Stop drone attacks.”
Strict security arrangements were put in place by the provincial government, including deployment of over 500 polce personnel to ensure safety and order. Transporters were directed to use alternative routes.
“I am participating in today’s sit-in to convey a message to America that we hate them since they are killing our people in drone attacks,” said Hussain Shah, a 21-year-old university student. “America must stop drone attacks for peace in our country.”
The US Embassy in Islamabad declined to comment on the protest at the present time.
The protest comes only two days after a rare US drone strike outside of Pakistan’s remote tribal region killed six people, including senior commanders of the Haqqani network, at a seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district.
The attack outraged Pakistani officials, as did one on Nov 1 that killed the former leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, a day before the Pakistani government said it was going to invite him to hold peace talks.
Ring Road leads to Torkham, one of two border crossings used to ship supplies from Pakistan to Afghanistan, and is a key transit route to transport supplies to Nato troops in the war-torn country.
Tahir Khan, a government official at Torkham, says there is normally little Nato supply traffic on the route on Saturdays. Most trucks arrive at the border by Friday evening to clear customs.
‘Sit-in to continue until drone strikes stop’
PTI chief Imran Khan has been a vocal critic of US drone strikes, saying they violate Pakistan's sovereignty.
Speaking to reporters earlier in Islamabad before heading to Peshawar for the demonstration, Khan said that the federal government was doing nothing on its part to stop drone attacks and the protest against the strikes would continue indefinitely.
Khan said that apart from issuing condemnation statements, nothing concrete had been done to put an effective stop to drone attacks.
He said that he had been protesting against drone attacks for the past nine years, but the government had yet to do anything about it.
Khan said Nato supplies would not be allowed to pass via KP, adding that the PTI-led government in the province possessed the mandate to block Nato supplies.
He moreover said PTI had promised to eradicate corruption from the country and it would fulfill its promise.
TTP claims responsibility for twin bomb attacks in Karachi
AFP
A Pakistani man rushes to a hospital carrying a child injured in a bomb blast, in Karachi early Saturday. -Photo by AP
Updated 2013-11-23 13:04:45
Share
0 Comment(s)
KARACHI: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility Saturday fortwin bomb attacks in Karachi overnight that killed at least seven people and wounded at least 28 others.
Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for umbrella group TTP, told AFP that the attacks in Karachi were carried out in revenge for violence in Rawalpindi on November 15.
He said the attacks were aimed at Shias in Karachi, and vowed further violence.
“It was to avenge the Rawalpindi incident, we will carry out more such attacks to avenge the killing of Sunnis,” Shahid told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.
Fighting erupted in the garrison-city of Rawalpindi, which neighbours the capital Islamabad, earlier this month when a procession by Shia Muslims to mark the most important day of the mourning month of Muharram coincided with a sermon at a nearby Sunni mosque.
The groups clashed with each other, TV cameramen and security forces.
Officials said 11 people were killed and more than 60 injured while a Sunni mosque and seminary and an adjacent cloth market were burnt, with Sunni groups blaming Shia protesters.
Thousands of people in major cities across the country, including Karachi, protested amid high security on Friday after Sunni groups called for demonstrations against the Rawalpindi violence.
The explosions overnight in Karachi Friday took place within minutes of each other in the city's bustling, predominantly Shia neighbourhood of Ancholi.
Karachi, a city of 18 million people which contributes 42 per cent of Pakistan's GDP, is rife with murder and kidnappings and has been plagued with sectarian, ethnic, and political violence for years.
The TTP has been behind hundreds of bomb and gun attacks that have fanned instability in Pakistan, killing more than 6,500 soldiers, police and civilians since 2007.
just few thousands, in dam big province?
count the votes PTI got, in the genrl elections & now few thousands!
its look like, sunami back to gutters part 2!
all this dharni against drone attacks were done to stop, drones which is the only lethal weapon, against a army of killers , & thugs called TTp, who still are bzy killing innocent pakistanis, & spreading the sectarien wars?
PTI & JI are the political fronts, of TTp offering them offices, calling them innocent tribals, giving them the SHUDAA,s badges, plz stop supporting them, cause in the thier agenda is anti/ pakistan & give free hand to the terrorists?
, poor PTI supporters...... poor souls that even can't gather 100 people... 
