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Huge Pakistan rally demands halt to U.S. drone strikes

28 October 2011 21:44 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A large number of tribesmen rallied here Friday to demand an immediate halt to the U.S. drone strikes in tribal regions, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Tribesmen from North Waziristan tribal region marched on Islamabad’s main road leading to the parliament house and chanted slogans against the United States.

They were holding banners and placards against the strikes by American spy aircraft in the tribal areas and described the CIA operation as violation of international laws.

The U.S. routinely fires missiles into Pakistan’s Waziristan tribal region, which the CIA considers as the base for al-Qaeda and Taliban. The U.S. says that militants launch cross-border attacks on Afghanistan from Waziristan tribal area.

The anti-U.S. rally was organized a day after two drone strikes in North and South Waziristan on Thursday killed at least 10 people, including two Taliban commanders.

Earlier, tribesmen from North Waziristan have held a traditional Jirga, or council of elders, in Islamabad and they said in a resolution that the drone strikes were "killing innocent civilians."

"The Jirga takes note that the CIA, the secret service of the United States, is carrying out these drone attacks and that these attacks are coordinated through CIA officials operating from within and outside Pakistan, thus violating Pakistani and international law intentionally killing Pakistani citizens," the resolution said.

Several tribesmen who lost family members also took part in the Jirga and the rally who recalled the miseries they are undergoing due to drone strikes.

A 17-year Saadullah, who lost his two legs in a drone strike, also attended the rally. He said three relatives were killed when a U.S. unmanned aircraft struck his house last year.

Karim Khan, who lost his son in a U.S. drone attack in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, now runs the campaign against the drone strikes and has also filed a case against the former CIA station chief in Islamabad for running the secret operation of drone strikes.

Khan said that the majority of the tribesmen are opposed to the drone strikes on their soil and said he will pursue the legal case against the United States.

A tribal elder, Malik Khan Mirjan, from North Waziristan told the Jirga that the infamous American Blackwater is using some West- funded NGOs to disrupt peace in their areas. He said tribesmen would fight a Holy War against the United States in Afghanistan if the drone strikes were not stopped.

President of the Tribal Union of Journalists, Safdar Hayat Khan, said that 70 percent of the people in the areas, particularly women and children, have become psychologically sick due to drone strikes fear. He said the drone strikes have also caused the spread of different diseases.

A former Pakistani ambassador, Ayaz Wazir, told the Jirga that drone aircraft almost daily fly over Waziristan region, creating panic among the people, especially women and children.

After the Jirga, the tribesmen took out a procession and marched on the main road leading to the parliament house.

Chief of Tehrik-e-Insaf (justice party), Imran Khan, told the huge rally that the U.S. drone strikes and the military operations are actually creating and strengthening militants in the tribal regions.

He said Pakistan should quit the U.S.-led international coalition, stop military operations and take into confidence the tribal elders who are able to contain the militants’ activities.