LAHORE - The government has little hope that the US will apologise over Salala border post attack, but still wants to restore the Nato supplies to be able to get financial assistance needed to reduce budget deficit and to avoid isolation from the international community.
The impression has been gathered by the Jamaat-e-Islami leadership following a meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik a couple of days ago. Though the meeting was already scheduled, the interior minister tried to convince JI Ameer Munawar Hasan, Secretary General Liaquat Baloch and Incharge Foreign Affairs Abdul Ghaffar Aziz to avoid a long march. The Defence of Pakistan Council, an alliance of religious and religio-political parties including the JI, however, goes ahead with the plan and announced schedule of the long march against possible resumption of Nato supplies.
“Though the meeting was already scheduled, Nato supplies issue also came under discussion. Rehman Malik assured that the government would stick to the Parliamentary resolution. However, he said that the US has not given even hint to tender apology over Salala border post incident and stop drone attacks”, Liaquat Baloch said, adding the visiting minister was however concerned about isolation from the world community and financial assistance to reduce budget deficit.
“These were not solid arguments. The government should have considered these before stopping Nato supplies. Pakistan got nothing during the last 12 years. The US has always betrayed the country,” he said, adding that the DPC would go ahead to use democratic right of recording protest and launching the long march against possible resumption of Nato supplies.
To a question about strategy in case the government tried to stop the long march, he said that it would be difficult for the federal and provincial governments. He said that the rulers in Punjab were carrying out rallies against the federal government and they would have no ethical ground to stop the long march. He said that even Sindh government would not be able to stop the masses from expressing their aspirations.
Meanwhile, the DPC has announced the schedule of the long march against possible resumption of Nato supplies. According to the programme, the long march will start from Karachi on May 27 and reach Islamabad on June 6.
The schedule was worked out by the organising committee of DPC at its meeting held at Mansoora with its convener Liaquat Baloch in the chair.
According to the schedule, the long march will begin from Mazar-e-Quaid Karachi on May 27 after Zuhr prayer and reach Hyderabad the same evening. On May 28, the participants would move from Hyderabad to Sukkur and reach Rahim Yar Khan on May 29. On May 30, it will travel to Bahawalpur. On May 31, the long march would move from Bahawalpur to Multan. On June 1, it will march from Multan to Sahiwal and reach Lahore on June 2. The participants would stay in Lahore on June 3 and resume their journey to Islamabad via Gujranwala, Jhelum and finally reach the federal capital on June 6. People in different cities and towns on its way would welcome participants.