PESHAWAR, Nov 10: Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) on Sunday held a rally in Peshawar against American drone attacks and announced full support to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf`s plan to block Nato supplies.

The motorcycle rally, participated by workers of different component parties, was led by chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Maulana Samiul Haq. The participants passed through different roads and bazaars and held a demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club.

They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the drone attacks and Nato supplies, and demanded of the government to get the strikes stopped at the earliest. They also asked the government to sever diplomatic relations with the US.

Talking to media persons, Maulana Samiul Haq said that the country was facing serious internal and external threats and the government was unable to steer it out of the quagmire. He said that drone strikes were a blatant violation of the country`s sovereignty and independence, and it was duty of the rulers to change its foreign policy.

He said that the government was following the policy of the US while Pervez Musharraf was also released under its pressure. He claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not raise the issue of release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui with President Obama during his US visit. He said that Dr Shakeel Afridi was a traitor and he should be awarded exemplary punishment for plotting against his own country.

Prominent among other leaders were Sunni Ulema Council leader Mufti Najeebullah, Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat representative Maulana Darvesh, Rah-i-Haq Party president Ibrahm Qasmi, and Jamaatud Dawa leader Attiqur Rehman Chohan.-Bureau Report