Imran offers help to US in Afghan Pullout

Pakistan

Imran offers help to US in Afghan Pullout

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Imran Khan, in his address, offered his partys help to US troops pullout from Afghanistan.

31 October,2011 11:47 am

Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan told a huge rally Sunday that his party would help US troops pull out from Afghanistan and bring militancy in the country to an end.Addressing a crowd of tens of thousands in Lahore he said his Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) party would like to have friendly - but not slavish - relations with the US. My message to America is that we will have friendship with you but we will not accept any slavery, he told the crowd. We will help you in a respectable withdrawal of your troops from Afghanistan, but we will not launch a military operation in Pakistan for you.Top US officials including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week visited Pakistan to press for action against Islamic extremists, particularly the Haqqani network, which is blamed for anti-US attacks in Afghanistan.Witnesses said the rally, one of the largest in the city, was attended by some 150,000 people while organisers put the number at over half a million. People came in packed buses, trucks, cars and tractors from Lahore and other cities including those in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Roads were blocked for hours due to heavy crowds.