The Pakistani military blocked a convoy of Pakistanis and a small contingent of US anti-war activists from entering South Waziristan on Sunday to protest American drone strikes.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) head Imran Khan, wearing a traditional turban, speaks to supporters during a peace march against US drone strikes from Islamabad to South Waziristan, in Pakistan's northwestern town of Tank October 7. Pakistani authorities stopped a protest over US drone strikes led by former cricketer turned politician Khan from entering the troubled region of South Waziristan on Sunday, prompting allegations the government was ambivalent about US actions.
Reuters
EnlargeThe Pakistani military blocked a convoy carrying thousands of Pakistanis and a small contingent of US anti-war activists from entering a lawless tribal region along the border with Afghanistan on Sunday to protest American drone strikes.
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The group, led by cricket star turned politician?Imran?Khan?and his political party, was turned back just miles from the border of South Waziristan. After an hour of fruitless negotiations,?Khan?announced that the caravan would backtrack to the city of Tank, about 9 miles away. There, he delivered a speech to the crowd of about 10,000.
Khan?has harshly criticized the Pakistani government's cooperation with Washington in the fight against Islamist militants. He has been especially outspoken against US drone strikes targeting militants and has argued that Islamabad's alliance with Washington is the main reason Pakistan is facing a homegrown Taliban insurgency. He has suggested before that militant activity in Pakistan's tribal areas will dissipate when the US ends the war across the border in Afghanistan.
"We want to give a message to America that the more you carry out drone attacks, the more people will hate you,"?Khan?told the crowd.
The anti-American sentiment, always high in Pakistan, was evident in the crowd that waved banners saying "Down with America," and "The friend of America is the traitor of the nation."
Pakistan's tribal regions, such as North and South Waziristan, border Afghanistan and serve as bases for militant groups such as the Taliban to stage raids across the border into Afghanistan.
The protest convoy of about 150 cars set out on Saturday from the capital Islamabad, traveled 250 miles and then stopped overnight in the city of Dera Ismail?Khan. The plan for the second and final day was to travel another 70 miles to reach Kotkai in South Waziristan. But the military stopped the convoy in the town of Kawar.
Khan?told the rally that they wanted to continue their journey to Kotkai, but the army said it was too late, and going inside South Waziristan at night was dangerous.?Khan?said he didn't want to put his supporters in danger, so he turned the rally around to Tank.
A spokesman for?Khan's?Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Umar Younus, said the army stopped the convoy at a checkpoint and despite insistence by PTI leaders they would not allow the convoy to go any farther.
Khan: march a success
Regardless of whether he was able to enter the tribal region,?Khan?portrayed the two-day motorcade as a success.
"We have taken the voice of the people of Waziristan to the world," he said.
Thousands of supporters had turned out along the route to cheer on the convoy, which stretched about 15 kilometers (9 miles), including accompanying media. Some of those packed into the vehicles waved flags forKhan's?political group and chanted: "We want peace."
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