ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday vowed to rally to South Waziristan along with thousands of people, including 30 civil society activists from the US, against drone attacks despite all hurdles being created by the government.

Speaking at a news conference at the party secretariat here, he condemned denial of visas to foreign journalists and civil society activists by Pakistan’s High Commission in the United Kingdom.

Imran Khan said though the government of Pakistan claimed that drone attacks were being carried out without its consent, the refusal of visas to the foreigners, who wanted to take part in the peace rally on October 6, showed that WikiLeaks’ claim about Islamabad’s collusion was correct.

He said people who did not want peace in the country were against the PTI’s rally. He claimed that thousands of Pakistanis along with the foreigners would join him to march to South Waziristan to show solidarity with the relatives of those killed in the drone attacks.

He said due to the war on terrorism, Pakistan’s economy was suffering about Rs90 billion every month but still the menace was on the rise. “We will meet the people of the tribal areas to find a solution to the issue. According to my point of view, the only solution is to quit the war against terrorism,” he said.

The PTI chief said Mehsud, Burki and Bhittani tribes of Waziristan had assured him of providing security to the participants of the rally.

It was stated that the rally would start from Blue Area in Islamabad and after passing through Balkasar, Talagang and Mianwali would reach D.I. Khan on October 6. On October 7, the participants will gather in Tank and then will move towards South Waziristan where a public meeting will be held at Kot Kai.

Replying to a question about the anti-Islam movie, Imran Khan said freedom of expression did not mean that anyone can interfere in other’s religion. Muslims should be united against that sort of conspiracies, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, US citizen Ann Wright, who is a former diplomat and military woman, said most of the American people were against drone attacks.

“Drone attacks are illegal and criminal. We request the people of Pakistan to raise their voice against them. We will go to Waziristan to apologise to the relatives of those killed by drones,” said Ms Wright, who is also the spokesperson for the Anti-War Movement.

She said the US had been violating the sovereignty of Pakistan. “There is travel warning for the US citizens but we have come here and will go to the places where our government does not want us to go,” she said.

Other US citizens who have reached here to take part in the PTI rally include Paki Wieland, a social worker (Massachusetts); Linda Wenning, a graduate from the University of Utah; Lorna Vander Zanden and Pam Bailey (Virginia); Jolie Terrazas, Judy Bello, Katie Falkenberg, Daniel Burns and Joe Lombardo (New York); Barbara Briggs, Tighe Barry, Sushila Cherian, Dianne Budd and Toby Blome (California); Leah Bolger, Tudy Cooper and Michael Gaskill (Oregon); Medea Benjamin, Jody Tiller and Alli McCracken (Washington DC); Anam Eljabali (Illinois), Patricia Chaffee (Wisconsin), Joan Nicholson (Pennsylvania), Robert Naiman and JoAnne Lingle (Indiana); Rob Mulford (Alaska), Lois Mastrangelo (Massachusetts) and Billy Kelly (New Jersey).