ISLAMABAD - Imran Khan led Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to end its blockade of Nato supplies, and end the sit-ins on the routes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan. The PTI has been vocal against US and its role in war on terror and policies. It had blocked the Nato supply routes on November 23 last year through sit-ins and protests.
The Core Committee of PTI in its Thursday meeting discussed the Peshawar High Court (PHC) judgment that declared the blockade of transit trade into landlocked Afghanistan as illegal. It decided that party will end the blockade due to PTI’s commitment to rule of law and respect for the superior judiciary.
Party’s sit-ins interestingly coincided with the halt of drone strikes by American CIA for the last two months in country’s tribal belt. But, this stoppage had also piled up complaints from traders involved in Afghan transit trade who reported incidents of harassment, arson, and infringement of rights as Pakistani citizens.
The PTI’s top decision making body however felt that political pressure should be maintained as the supplies blockade had resulted a shift in the Obama Administration’s drone policy, noting that no drone attack came in the last two months.
The Core Committee also regretted that the PML-N government had failed to show respect for law and the senior judiciary by not implementing an earlier PHC judgment against US drone attacks in which the federal government had been asked to block Nato supplies and even shoot down a drone if the US failed to stop drone attacks. PTI also maintained that earlier it was the only party that had built up the pressure against drones by its Waziristan march that was supported by international community and human rights groups. The Core Committee thanked all its workers who had helped make the Nato supply blockade a success.
The PTI decided to end its over a month-long blockade of Nato supplies through protests and sit-ins after PHC termed the move illegal on Tuesday. A bench comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Malik Manzoor Hussain gave the decision while hearing the petition filed by a local trader.
The petition was moved against forced inspection and blockade of Afghanistan-bound containers by PTI workers. PHC also ordered the provincial government to ensure human rights and freedom of movement.