Anti-NATO Supply Line Protest In Pakistan Delayed

Islamabad, Nov 18, IRNA - The ruling party in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Monday announced postponement of its plan to block supply route for NATO troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf or PTI had announced to cut the NATO supply line from November 20th as a protest against the US drone strike which had killed the Pakistani Taliban chief, Hakimullah Mehsud. Chairman PTI, Imran Khan announced postponement of the protest sit-in against drones and blocking the NATO supply route from November 20-23 keeping in view the grave security situation in the country. ˈThis is not a cancellation but a postponement in response to the sensitivities of our people and the acute security situation prevailing in the country,ˈ Khan explained in a statement. The decision was made following the sectarian clashes in the garrison city of Rawalpindi which claimed nine lives while dozens were injured. The incidents caused tensions in some other cities and law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert in view of possible backlash. Last week PTI’s coalition partner, Jamaat-e-Islam party briefly stopped supplies to NATO forces against the American drone strikes. Supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami party staged a sit-in on the main NATO supply route in Peshawar for two hours, forcing the authorities to stop NATO containers from entering Afghanistan. Nearly 70 percent supplies are transported through Pakistan, the shortest and cheapest route, for over 100,000 foreign troops. The US is also using Pakistani route for withdrawal of its heavy machinery from Afghanistan as part of its exit plan. The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been under tremendous pressure from religious and some political parties to block NATO supply line after the November 1 drone strike, which officials say, sabotaged the government strategy of holding peace talks with the Taliban./end