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LAHORE - The Defence of Pakistan Council (DPC) on Saturday announced to organise a long march on May 27 to protest against the possible restoration of NATO supply routes.
Pakistan closed supply routes for coalition forces in Afghanistan following an air strike by NATO aircraft in November last year that killed 24 soldiers. Both countries have been involved in talks for new terms and conditions for the restoration of supply routes, and high-ranking officials have hinted at restoring the suspended supplies in a couple of days. On Friday, Pakistan allowed a US diplomatic shipment to cross into Afghanistan that had also been stuck for months. It is believed that the permission to four US trucks to enter Afghanistan is also an indication for the possible NATO supply line restoration.
The DPC, an alliance of dozens of religio-political groups, will begin long march from Karachi on May 27. The participants will march towards Islamabad to mount pressure on the federal government against restoring supply lines. Islamist parties in Pakistan oppose transit facility to NATO forces, saying Pakistan should not be part of the war in Afghanistan. The DPC leaders met in Mansoora, the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), in Lahore and announced a protest plan against the possible restoration of supplies. DPC chief Samiul Haq told reporters that the DPC would also stage a protest on May 25. Rallies will be organised on coming Friday in major cities to oppose transit facility to NATO forces, he said.
Haq, who also heads his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, said that the DPC’s central leaders would address the rallies in various cities and towns during the long march. A committee under JI leader Liaquat Baloch has been formed to plan the route for the long march rally, he said.
Haq termed the restoration of NATO supplies “unacceptable”, saying the US had killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and even refused to tender apology over its brutal act. He said the US had also refused to stop drone strikes in the country’s tribal regions despite repeated demands from the government and the people of Pakistan. He regretted that the chiefs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had not responded positively despite being invited to join the long march. Haq said that Yousaf Raza Gilani was a convict and therefore an “unconstitutional prime minister”, and had no right to decide about the destiny of the country. Speaking on the occasion, JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan accused the government of adopting pro-American policies, saying the DPC’s long-march on Islamabad would be a clear message to the government against bowing before the US.