KARACHI: Religious parties vowed on Sunday to hold a sit-in outside parliament on Feb 20 in protest against restoration of Nato supplies and warned to turn every square of the country into Tahrir Square if attempts were made to push the country to what they said US subservience.
From the platform of Difaa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC), the parties assailed US policies and their leaders and slogan-chanting supporters condemned the continuing drone attacks and “attempts to restore Nato supplies”.
The rally, held in a ground near the Quaid Mausoleum, warned the government against granting MFN status to India and said it would be tantamount to stabbing the Kashmiris in the back.
The leaders criticised the government for the situation in Balochistan and the plight of families of missing persons. They said the people of Balochistan should get the right to own their resources.
Maulana Samiul Haque of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (S) said the DPC wanted to protect the country from the aggression of the United States which was being defeated in Afghanistan and wanted to take revenge on Pakistan by fomenting unrest in Balochistan.
He said the religious alliance would continue to support Kashmiri freedom fighters and would support the people of Afghanistan against the US.
Syed Munawwar Hassan of Jamaat-i-Islami said the biggest challenge was the US interference because the US had assumed that Pakistan was an easy prey.
He said the DPC was formed to defend country’s territorial and ideological frontiers and would help people get rid of corrupt rulers. He said the rulers lied that Nato supplies had been stopped but the US ambassador had revealed that supplies were continuing through air routes.
Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan asked the army chief why he was silent over drone attacks if the government was in its favour in order to get money from the US.
Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhyanvi of Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat said his ancestors had created Pakistan and now his people would save the country. Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed of Awami Muslim League said people would have to rise against corruption of the rulers and make the country Tahrir Square.
He said people should unite under the banner of the DPC to expel corrupt rulers and save the country.
Gen (retd) Hameed Gul of Tehrik-i-Ittehad Pakistan complained to the Supreme Court that he and his son were jailed for two weeks because they had fought for independence of the judiciary and it did nothing when US spy agent Raymond Davis was released.
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed of Jamaatud Dawa said the US wanted to avenge its defeat in Afghanistan and was exploiting the situation in Balochistan.
He said India was using Kashmir against Pakistan as a tool and had blocked the flow of water to Pakistan, but the DPC would not allow this to happen.
He said the people of Pakistan would stand by their armed forces and foil any conspiracy against the country.
Ijazul Haque of PML (Zia) said Pakistan was being ruled by people who were not well-wishers of the country.
The conference adopted a 10-point agenda for steering the country out of the crisis and to restore Islamic values.
The agenda mainly focused on ending US intervention and pressure on Pakistan to get drone attacks discontinued and Nato supplies from ground and aerial routes stopped.
It pledged complete support for the Kashmiri cause and respect and moral support for people resisting foreign occupation in Afghanistan.
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