Radicals vow to block reopening of Nato routes

Karachi: Islamic radicals yesterday vowed to resist the government's impending decision to reopen Nato supply routes from the Karachi port to Afghanistan. They plan to stage a march from Karachi to Islamabad from May 27.

The Defense Council of Pakistan (DCP), an alliance of dozens of Islamist and right wing parties, vowed to defy American and Nato influence in the region and Pakistan by pressurising the authorities to not reopen Nato supply routes.

Pakistan cut off the Nato supply routes from the Karachi port after aircraft belonging to the allied forces waged an attack on the Salala military post on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, killing 27 soldiers and officers of the Pakistan army in November last year.

The ties between Pakistan and the US turned sour and there was a deadlock between the two countries — allies in the war against terror — delivering a blow to the anti-terror campaign. All shipping containers laden with Nato supplies have remained stranded at the Karachi port for the past six months.

Pakistan have demanded a formal apology from the US over the Salala check post attack but the US has not relented so far.

Strong signals

However, the two countries have recently broken the lull and there are strong signals that Pakistan would reopen its ports and roads to trucks and trailers carrying Nato supplies.

The DCP, which met in Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan, decided to start the march from Karachi, the port city in southern Pakistan, to Islamabad, the capital.

"We will start our march from Karachi against the decision of reopening Nato supply routes," Maulana Samiul Haq, the chief of the council, told media in Lahore. "People would join us from many cities on the way though it would be a peaceful procession," Haq added.

Munawar Hassan, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Jamatud Dawa and a wanted man in the US and India, Hameed Gul, the former ISI chief, Shaikh Rashid, former federal minister and others attended the meeting.

There has been no official announcement from the Pakistani government with regard to re-opening the Nato supply routes. But at the port and truck stations, drivers and contractors are gearing up to take up consignments as they have received hints to be ready for jobs.

However, political analysts believe that President Asif Alif Zardari, who is expected to represent Pakistan at the Nato summit in Chicago, might make a formal announcement to mark the resumption of ties with the US and Nato.