Thousands of people have held massive demonstrations in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore to protest against Islamabad’s decision to reopen NATO supply routes to Afghanistan.
The rally, organized by prominent Islamic groups, kicked off on Sunday with several thousands of supporters arriving in the center of the city on dozens of buses, cars, and motorbikes.
The protesters have planned to head to Islamabad and get there by Monday afternoon for a bigger march against the recent reopening of the key routes, used for transfer of supplies to the US-led forces in Afghanistan.
The protesters also denounced the US assassination drone attacks on Pakistani tribal areas that have been targeting thousands of civilians over the past years.
Pakistan blocked the passageways following US-led airstrikes on two checkpoints in the country’s northwest in November 2011, which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Islamabad reopened the routes after nearly eight months under a deal struck last week.
The reopening came after Clinton announced in a statement that she offered “deepest regrets for the tragic incident” during a telephone conversation with the Pakistani foreign minister.
Outraged at the attacks, Pakistan had repeatedly asked the United States to apologize.
The Pakistani government’s decision to reopen the passageways has sparked massive protests across the country.(Press TV)
The rally, organized by prominent Islamic groups, kicked off on Sunday with several thousands of supporters arriving in the center of the city on dozens of buses, cars, and motorbikes.
The protesters have planned to head to Islamabad and get there by Monday afternoon for a bigger march against the recent reopening of the key routes, used for transfer of supplies to the US-led forces in Afghanistan.
The protesters also denounced the US assassination drone attacks on Pakistani tribal areas that have been targeting thousands of civilians over the past years.
Pakistan blocked the passageways following US-led airstrikes on two checkpoints in the country’s northwest in November 2011, which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Islamabad reopened the routes after nearly eight months under a deal struck last week.
The reopening came after Clinton announced in a statement that she offered “deepest regrets for the tragic incident” during a telephone conversation with the Pakistani foreign minister.
Outraged at the attacks, Pakistan had repeatedly asked the United States to apologize.
The Pakistani government’s decision to reopen the passageways has sparked massive protests across the country.(Press TV)
Source : Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), International Service
