Updated on
Summary The PTI plan to lead the march to the village of Kotkai in South Waziristan.
A grand tribal jirga on Friday announced to provide security for ‘peace march’ planned by Imran Khan, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).The jirga meeting took place at Tank Town Hall which was attended by elders of Mehsud and Barki tribes. Also, representatives of all tribal agencies were present in the meeting.On Thursday, Imran Khan insisted a planned peace march to the countrys restive tribal areas would go ahead despite security fears and doubts over whether the authorities would allow it.Khan plans to lead a rally from Islamabad to South Waziristan to protest against US drone strikes.Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf also plans to take Western journalists and campaigners on the march, including the British head of charity Reprieve Clive Stafford Smith and 30 American anti-drone campaigners.On security situation, Imran Khan said the Taliban had given their agreement through intermediaries in the tribal areas.The tribes have got in touch with the militants and the tribes have told us that its fine, they have no objections to it, Khan told a news conference.There have been conflicting reports this week about whether permission for the march to enter South Waziristan has been granted, and by whom, but Khan insisted it would go ahead.I still dont understand why is the government going to stop us? When they know neither the militants are objecting to this, neither the tribal areas are objecting to this and certainly the armys not objecting to this, he said.The PTI plan to lead the march to the village of Kotkai in South Waziristan and rally there, but Khan said if the authorities intervened, they would hold the rally wherever they were stopped.A senior administration official in South Waziristan said that Khan and his followers would not be allowed to enter the district because of the security situation.Missile attacks on suspected militants from unmanned American drones arouse anger in Pakistan but US officials regard them as an important weapon in the fight against terror networks.Opposition to the drone campaign has become a central plank of PTIs policy as Pakistan gears up for a general election due within six months.
