"Peshawar Declaration"—anti-War on Terror, Drones

Compiled and edited by Carolyn Bennett

Peshawar Declaration April 24, 2011

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf congratulates the people of Pakistan for their massive participation … a reflection of the nation’s consensus [demanding] an end to the murderous drone attacks  — characterized by the UN as extra judicial killings — resulting in loss of innocent life.

“The momentous Peshawar Dharna was the first public show of resolve on the road to regaining Pakistan’s lost sovereignty. 

“At the conclusion of the Dharna, the people, by a show of hands, unanimously passed the Peshawar Declaration, which demands the following of the Government of Pakistan:

Immediately implement the joint resolution of Parliament on the ‘War on Terror’

End the [hypocritical] double-faced policy and bring before parliament all past and present agreements/understandings with the U.S. government on the ‘war on terror’ 

The PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] demands of the Supreme Court to urgently

Hear the drone attacks petition filed by the PTI and hold a judicial inquiry under the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to ascertain the legitimacy of the drone attacks under our Constitution and also determine the scale of human loss and establish scope of compensation to the victims and their families.

Ensure immediate access of media and human rights organizations to FATA to independently assess the human and material losses suffered by the people due to the drone attacks.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also demands of the Supreme Court to urgently hear the petition filed by the PTI regarding the drone attacks.

In case drone attacks continue and these demands are not met by the government, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf demands:

The resignation of this government which has failed to protect the life and liberty of its citizens, and

The PTI shall with the support of the people block all supply routes of NATO trucks to Afghanistan

Sources and notes

Peshawar Declaration https://insaf.pk/News/tabid/60/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6236/Concluding-Resolutions-of-PTI-Dharna.aspx

Democracy Now headlines April 25, 2011 — Pakistani demonstrators blocked a key NATO supply route to Afghanistan on Sunday in a major protest against U.S. drone strikes inside Pakistan. Thousands of NATO trucks were held up by the rally, which was organized by the famous Pakistani cricket-player-turned-politician, Imran Khan “Pakistan: NATO Supply Route Blocked by Drone Strike Protesters,”

Headlines for April 25, 2011, http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/25/headlines/pakistan_nato_supply_route_blocked_by_drone_strike_protesters

India Daily  — Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has said that if the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led federal government fails to stop U.S. drone strikes within 30 days, protesters will block all NATO supply routes across the country. …

“Activists from Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) and some other parties staged a sit-in on the highway leading to Afghanistan through the Pashtun tribal region of Khyber… Imran warned that protesters would march to Islamabad to force the government to take a stand on the issue if drone strikes continue. “Imran Khan sets 30 days deadline over U.S. drone strikes” (from ANI), April 25, 2011, http://www.dailyindia.com/show/436477.php

Dharna: a fast held at the door of an offender as an appeal for justice

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI), its slogan: “Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem”

Ideology excerpt: 

“As a nation we cannot progress as long as our economy depends on handouts from international lenders and donors. 

 “The policies of international lenders have strangulated the capacity of the ordinary citizen to live a life of dignity. We must strive for self-reliance. The goal of self-reliance does not in any way imply that we isolate ourselves from the global economy. It only shows our conviction that by restoring the trust of the people in public institutions we can harness their potential and mobilize them for a better tomorrow. 

 “We offer a new and credible leadership that is committed to restoring Pakistan's political and economic sovereignty by building a new bond of trust between the government and the people. Only through the active participation of the people can we collectively mobilize our human and material resources to forge ahead on the road to a confident and self-reliant nation. 

“We are committed to political stability through credible democracy, transparency in government and accountability of leadership. We believe in federalism and functional autonomy to the provinces. 

 “We strive for a moderate society that banishes hatred and religious bigotry. We focus on addressing the root causes of religious extremism, which are injustice, poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy while Islam and the Two-Nation Theory remain the bedrock of Pakistan's foundations, religious dogma must not be used to whip up passions to create fear in society. On the contrary, a truly Islamic society advocates tolerance, moderation and freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice without fear. Sectarianism is a curse that must be eliminated from society.”

 FATA

FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) is a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. FATA comprises seven Agencies (tribal districts) and six Frontier regions or FRs. The territory is almost exclusively inhabited by Pukhtoon (Pathan) tribes which are predominantly Sunni Muslims by faith. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federally_Administered_Tribal_Areas

Imran Khan

In an attempt to fight corruption and bring the rule of law, Imran Khan (b. 1952 in Lahore, Pakistan, where cricket was a great part of his family life) formed the political party Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) or Movement for Justice.

From November 2002 to October 2007, he represented Mianwali as a member of the National Assembly.  On April 27, 2008, Khan’s brainchild, a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College, was opened. Namal College was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), as chaired by Khan, and was made an associate college of the University of Bradford in December 2005. Also in December 2005, he was appointed as Chancellor of the University of Bradford in UK, acting as an ambassador for the University in the UK and overseas.

Under the umbrella of the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT) and as a philanthropist and a Member of Parliament, Imran has undertaken a number of initiatives to address  many economic and social challenges including steering improvements in literacy, community organization, health, access to credit, encouragement of corporate investment, and education. https://insaf.pk/AboutUs/Leadership/tabid/141/agentType/ViewSearch/CustomFieldIDs/14/Default.aspx?SearchValues=Imran+Khan+

"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership approaches the people with sincerity and a sense of history and pledges commitment to:

Freedom from Political, Economic and Mental Slavery — A self reliant modern Islamic Republic
Freedom from Injustice — Inexpensive and quick dispensation of justice
Freedom from Poverty — 50 percent increase in per capita income in 5 years
Freedom from Unemployment — Two million new jobs every year
Freedom from Homelessness — 2.0 [like]- new housing units every year and complete ownership rights to millions living in Katchi Abadis
Freedom from Illiteracy — Full literacy in 5 years
Freedom to Generate Wealth
Freedom from Fear — Complete Freedom of thought and expression
Freedom for Women — Free education up to Matric for girls from poor households.
Equal right for minorities — no religious discrimination" 

https://insaf.pk/AboutUs/Ideology/tabid/139/Default.aspxwww.insaf.pk is the only Official Website of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. "All other websites have been declared illegal and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has disassociated itself from them. The party does not take any Financial, Political and Administrative responsibility of the activities generated through these illegal websites."

Karāchi—

City and capital of Sindh province in southern Pakistan, Karāchi is the country’s largest city and principal seaport and is a major commercial and industrial centre. Karāchi is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea immediately northwest of the Indus River Delta. The city proper covers an area of 228 square miles (591 square km), while the metropolitan area of Greater Karāchi spreads out over an area of 560 square miles.

“… With the city’s infrastructure already overburdened to the breaking point, fully one-third of new arrivals [are] forced to take up residence in urban shantytowns known as katchi abadis, which ordinarily lack power, running water, or sanitation. Delivery of basic city services remains an ongoing problem for Karāchi, Pakistan, into the 21st century.” [Britannica note]

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