Imran’s drone protest ends in U-turn
Date October 8, 2012 – 7:38AM
Imran Khan’s bold plan to lead thousands of peace protesters into one of Pakistan’s most dangerous tribal regions ended in a climbdown yesterday, amid warnings of suicide attacks, a looming sunset curfew and army opposition.
Instead of leading his ragtag convoy of US peace activists, politicians and dozens of local TV crews into South Waziristan — a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — he turned back 65 kilometres from his goal.
We want to convey the message to America – if you send drones, the people will hate more.
Critics will use the episode to ridicule a strategy they say relies on stunts over substance, but his supporters said they achieved their aim of shining a spotlight on the United States’ deadly covert drones program.
Driven against drones … ex-cricketer turned politician Imran Khan leads a motorcade against US drone strikes. Photo: AFP
They had travelled more than 400 arduous kilometres to highlight the plight of people living in South Waziristan, where unmanned CIA aircraft keep a continual watch from the skies.
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The decision to turn back disappointed protesters and residents alike.
“You can see for yourself there are no problems, no army, no police,” said Kalim Ullah Khan, 26, who works in the oil and gas industry, as he gestured at the empty road leading on from Kurdh.
Mr Khan has become one of the country’s most outspoken opponents of US drones. He argues that civilian deaths are more numerous than the authorities admit and that the air strikes are turning young men into angry jihadis.
His Movement for Justice political party has also gained ground after years in the wilderness and analysts believe that elections due early next year will mark a breakthrough, although falling short of the electoral “tsunami” Mr Khan predicts.
A convoy of about 150 cars, buses and motorcycles set out from Islamabad on Saturday morning with Mr Khan as its Pied Piper. Its members faced the threat of al-Qaeda attacks and the suspicion that Pakistan’s military would intervene.
Along the way, Mr Khan addressed rallies as the ranks of supporters grew in a flag-festooned crocodile tracing a route south-west from the capital.
After spending a night in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, the procession set out yesterday through a dusty landscape of acacia trees and dry riverbeds for Kotkai, in South Waziristan itself.
But it was all too much for a party of peace activists from the US.
They had endured a tough first day. The 30 or so middle-aged women of Code Pink struggled to manage the 14-hour journey with only two toilet breaks.
They decided enough was enough when news filtered through that the road to Kotkai had been closed by local authorities, citing the threat of snipers and suicide bombers.
In fact, the convoy, which had swollen to more than 350 packed vehicles, made slow but steady progress. Shipping containers used as barricades were shunted aside by dozens of eager hands.
Clive Stafford Smith, of the anti-death penalty campaign Reprieve, said the obstructions illustrated the opposition of Pakistan’s government to peace efforts. “I am 100 per cent happy to go into Waziristan,” he said. “I don’t really appreciate Big Brother telling me I can’t do it.”
Onlookers cheered and waved as the procession arrived in tumbledown villages. Few politicians bother to visit this remote, undeveloped corner of Pakistan, where minarets and the chimneys of brick kilns are the tallest structures for miles around. But in the end the noisy convoy halted with barely a whimper.
Confused drivers pulled off the road and performed U-turns among ditches and thorns as text messages spread the word that Mr Khan’s party high command had called off the drive.
The procession reversed its direction for one last rally outside the town of Tank, where Mr Khan addressed about 4000 supporters from the back of a truck.
“Drones are anti-human rights. They are against international law,” he roared, wearing a traditional golden turban.
“We want to convey the message to America — if you send drones, the people will hate more.”
Minutes later, he sent a message explaining that roadblocks meant the convoy risked getting caught after dark in “bandit country”.
“Could not take that risk with foreigners and women,” he said. “The army told us there was a genuine threat.”
In Pakistan — where military matters are always opaque — the conspiracy theories began circulating last night. The threats were nothing more than a chance to silence government opposition — or they were a convenient excuse for Mr Khan to back down from a confrontation.
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/imrans-drone-protest-ends-in-uturn-20121008-277w5.html#ixzz28iUlOkcs
About K4Kashmir
PROFILE OF Dr SHABIR CHOUDHRY
Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in Nakker Shamali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and holds a dual nationality.
Dr Shabir Choudhry has done extensive research on the issue of Kashmir and Indo Pakistan relations. He passed BA Honours in Politics and History, and Mphil in International Relations (title of the thesis, ‘Kashmir and Partition of India’); and title of his PhD thesis is ‘Kashmir- An issue of a nation not a dispute of a land’.
Apart from this Dr Shabir Choudhry passed Post Graduates Certificates in Education, and NVQ Assessor’s qualifications; and taught English in London.
Political Achievements
Founder member of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front established in 1977) and got elected as a Press Secretary in 1984.
• Became its Secretary General in 1985, and resigned from this post in 1996.
• Got elected President of JKLF and Europe in May 1999, and decided not to contest in elections of July 2001.
• Said good - bye to the JKLF as it is in many groups and is largely seen as advancing a Pakistani agenda on Kashmir dispute, and set up a new party Kashmir National Party in May 2008.
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At present, he is:
• Spokesman Kashmir National Party and Director Diplomatic Committee;
• Founder member and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs;
Previously
• A founder Member and Trustee/ Director of London based registered charity, Kashmir Foundation International and resigned from this position in August 2001.
• Regularly take part in the Sessions of the UN Human Rights (Commission) now Council in Geneva; and address various conferences and seminars to oppose violence and highlight the Kashmir cause.
• Have addressed dozens of seminars and conferences in the British Parliament, European Parliament and other important capitals of the world on issue of Kashmir, violence and terrorism.
• Addressed as a key note speaker in a Conference at New Delhi arranged by Jawahar Lal Nehru University.
• Participated in a Round Table Conference on Kashmir, organised by Socialist Group of European Parliament in Brussels in 1993.
• Addressed as a Chief Guest in a seminar on issue of Mangla Dam during the UN Sub Commission’s proceedings in August 2003.
• Addressed as a key - note speaker in a seminar on the issue of Gilgit and Baltistan, organised by Association of British Kashmiris.
• Addressed as a keynote speaker on human rights conference in Paris in 1991.
• Addressed at Cambridge University as a Chief Guest in a conference on Kashmir in 1990.
• Addressed as a keynote speaker at New Delhi conference on Kashmir, which was part of Track Two diplomacy in November 2000.
• In September 2008, addressed a Conference arranged by Interfaith International in Geneva, topic of which was: “Kashmir Issue, Terrorism and Human Rights”.
• Addressed as a speaker in a NGO Conference on Self - Determination in Geneva in August 2000.
• Addressed as a keynote speaker in a fringe meeting of Liberal Democrats at their Annual Conference in Brighton in 1995.
• Participated in World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993.
• Before President Clinton's visit to India and Pakistan in 2000, lead a JKLF delegation to the State Department to discuss Kashmir dispute and situation in South Asia.
• Also had two rounds of meetings with senior State Department officials before President Musharraf’s meeting to Washington in June 2003.
• Apart from that had meetings with senior officials including Ministers of different countries, and also held many meetings with the State Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on number of occasions.
• Played important role in advancing a Kashmiri perspective on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir; and also helped Baroness Emma Nicholson with her report ‘Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’, which was adopted by the European Parliament in May 2007.
• Won first prize in an essay competition in Urdu in 1976. It was organised by High Commission of Pakistan in London, and title of the essay was 'Qaaid-e- Azam's role in Islamic History'.
• Apart from that have addressed conferences in Brussels, Geneva, Toronto, Islamabad, Delhi, and
Publications
• Got first Urdu novel ‘Fareena’ published at the age of eighteen.
• Second Urdu novel ‘Bay-Khataa’ which was about the problems of Asian youths living in UK published in 1983.
• Third Urdu book ‘Pakistan and Kashmiri struggle for independence’ published in 1990.
• Fourth Urdu book is also on Kashmiri struggle, 'Is an independent Kashmir a conspiracy?'
• Apart from that has twenty five books and booklets published in English on various aspects of the Kashmiri struggle.
• Recent publications are: Kashmir dispute as I see it
• Different perspective on Kashmir
• JKLF visit to Pakistan Administered Kashmir
• Kashmir Needs a Change of Heart
• If not self - determination then what?
• Emma Nicholson report- who has won?
• Struggle for independence, Jihad or proxy war (Introduction by Baroness Emma Nicholson)
• Why 22 October 1947 is important in Kashmiri history?
• New dimensions of the Kashmiri struggle.
The following books are published by a German company and available on www.amazon.co.uk
• New Round of the 'Great Game', ISBN 978-3-639-33084-7
• Liberation Struggle, Jihad or a Proxy War,
ISBN 978-3-639-33424-1
• Kashmir Dispute: New Dimensions and New Challenges
ISBN 978-3-639-33566-8
• Kashmir Dispute and Peace in South Asia
ISBN 978-3-639-33732-7
• Terrorism, Kashmir Dispute and Possible Solutions ISBN 978-3-639-34239-0
• Kashmir And The Partition of India, (my Mphil research)
ISBN 978-3-639-34801-9
• Kashmir – an Issue of a Nation not Dispute of a Land, (my PhD research) 978-3-639-35593-2
• Are Kashmiris part of the Kashmir Dispute? 978-3-639-37225-0
•
A brief background
Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in a small village called Nakker Shamali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and like other people from the region, holds a dual nationality. He left secondary school in 1970 with no qualifications and began his life as a textile worker.
In 1975 he started part time studies and passed Matriculation from Government High School Panjeri, passed ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from UK, and resumed full time degree course in 1981, and passed BA (Hons) in Politics and History in 1984.
He continued full time and part time jobs until he got his Mphil. He passed his PGCE (Post Graduates Certificate in Education) in 1990, and then started full time job as a Lecturer. Due to health problems he resigned from teaching in 1999. At present he is self - employed, provides private tuition, translation and interpretation and consultancy.
Through out his adult life he has actively worked for the cause of Kashmir, and even during long illness he effectively carried out his responsibilities as a leader of the JKLF, a ‘prolific writer’ and consistent campaigner of Rights Movement and peace in Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia.
Dr Shabir Choudhry
Email:drshabirchoudhry@googlemail.com
Telephone: 0044 (0)7790942471
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