Hafiz Saeed to protest against US drone attacks in Islamabad today despite ban

Islamabad, Feb 20 (ANI): The Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) has said that its supporters would gather in Islamabad on February 20 (today) to protest against drone attacks and the restoration of air supplies for NATO.

The Express Tribune quoted DPC leader Maulana Samiul Haq, as saying that they would challenge the decision of the interior ministry to ban the entry of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leader Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

"We have decided to gather at Abpara in the federal capital on February 20 to raise our voices against the continuous drone attacks in Pakistan and the resumption of NATO supplies by the federal defence minister," he said. he alliance of as many as 30 political and the religious parties demanded immediate removal of Pakistan Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar for cooperating with NATO over the issue.

The DPC, an umbrella grouping of different religious and political parties, are reportedly planning a serious protest against what they perceive as injustices in Pakistan.

Despite the ban, Saeed and Ludhianvi reached Rawalpindi on Sunday to participate in the Sarbarahi Ijlas (meeting of the party heads). Other party leaders including JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, General Ziaul Haq's son Ejazul Haq and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat Baloch also reached Rawalpindi to participate in the rally. (ANI)