Pak Taliban offers security to Imran Khan for peace march against drone strikes

[Shah-i-Kot]

http://truthdive.com/2012/10/02/Pak-...e-strikes.html

Pak Taliban offers security to Imran Khan for peace march against drone strikes

Posted by News Desk on October 2, 2012 in News, Sourced, Wired, World · 0 Comments

Karachi, Oct. 2 (ANI): The Pakistani Taliban has said it has offered Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan its security for their upcoming peace march into the country’s tribal region, protesting against U.S. drone strikes.
According to The News, senior commanders of the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said a recent meeting, headed by the group’s leader Hakimullah Mehsud, set aside earlier instructions to send suicide bombers to assassinate the former cricketer. Instead, the TTP noted Khan’s opposition to U.S. drone strikes against militants in its territory, and hence offered security assistance, the paper said.
“We are ready to provide them security if they need. We endorse Imran Khan’s plea that drone strikes are against our sovereignty. The anti-drone rallies should have been taken out by the religious leaders long ago but Imran had taken the lead and we wouldn’t harm him or his followers,” TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan said.
The TTP had earlier opposed the peace march and had threatened to attack Imran terming him a “liberal”.
Imran said he had been promised the support of local tribes but was worried the government was opposed to allowing foreign peace campaigners and journalists to attend.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has recorded at least 2570 deaths since 2004 in 346 drone strikes.
The PTI rally against drone strikes will begin on October 6. (ANI)

Tags: Karachi

[Shah-i-Kot]

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article...a.asp?id=99051

Pakistani party vows to organize anti-U.S. drone march despite possible ban

Source: XINHUA | 2012-10-2 |
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ISLAMABAD, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- A political party in Pakistan said Tuesday that it will go ahead with its march against the U.S. drone strikes towards Waziristan tribal region despite a possible ban by the government.

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) or justice movement of cricketer- turned politician Imran Khan will begin the march towards the volatile South Waziristan on October 6. The march will begin from Islamabad and will reach Waziristan on October 7.

An official of the tribal region said Tuesday that the march will create difficulties in view of uncertain situation in South Waziristan, indicating a possible ban.

But PTI said it will go ahead with its march and will not accept any restrictions.

"Waziristan peace march will proceed according to plan whether the government gives permission or not," spokesman of PTI, Shafqat Mahmood said.

A tribal affairs official, Dr. Tashfeen Khan, said in the northwestern city of Peshawar that the federal government has been informed about the uncertain situation in South Waziristan and the decision will be taken by the government whether or not to allow the march.

Several members of an American rights group have already arrived in Islamabad to join the marchers. PTI says the government has refused visas to foreign journalists who wanted to cover the event.

Security forces had conducted a major operation in South Waziristan in 2009 and cleared most areas from Taliban but they are still hiding in remote areas and carrying out attacks on security forces.

Taliban have said they have taken a decision about the march but the decision will be disclosed one day before the march begins.

The PTI spokesman said that tribesmen have welcomed the peace march and there is no reason why the administration should try to stop it. However, he said, whatever they decide will not stop PTI from undertaking this historic march.

"It will proceed as planned," Mehmood said in a statement.

The marchers will begin journey from Islamabad on Oct. 6 in the morning and will have a night stay in the city of Dera Ismail Khan. It will resume march on Oct. 7 in the morning and will reach Kotkai, a small town at the entrance of the tribal region.

Mehmood requested the South Waziristan administration not to create hindrance for a historic march that is having repercussion internationally and is only designed to protest the barbarity of the drone attacks and express solidarity with the people of tribal areas.