ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Opposition leaders on Saturday announced that they would hold a march from Peshawar to Bajaur Agency on Monday to express solidarity with the tribal people and offer condolences over the deaths of 18 villagers in a US air-strike.

The announcement was made following a meeting of opposition leaders at the residence of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) president Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

Besides Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and MMA secretary general Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and acting parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan were also present.

However, there were no representatives from the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) at the meeting.

Mr Ahmed said the US operation had perturbed the whole nation as it had been carried out on Pakistani soil and had killed innocent Pakistanis.

The MMA leader criticised the government for failing to protect the life, property and sanctity of its citizens and allowing US troops stationed in neighbouring Afghanistan to carry out attacks in Bajaur Agency.

PTI chief Imran Khan said it was regrettable that Gen Musharraf had not uttered a single word of condemnation on the Bajaur incident. “I have never seen such a coward commando in my life,” Mr Khan said.

So far, Mr Khan said, the government had not presented a single terror suspect before any court of law. He said there was no justification for firing missiles on three or four houses, even if there were reports of the presence of foreign elements.

Mr Khan condemned the operations in Waziristan and Balochistan. “Our army is doing exactly what Israel is doing in the occupied territories,” he said.

PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that so far the rulers had failed to prove that foreigners were also among those killed in Bajaur Agency. He claimed that over 500 Pakistani troops had been killed in the Waziristan operation so far.

Maulana Fazl said that people had started fleeing North Waziristan in large numbers due to the ongoing operation. He alleged that hundreds of people had been languishing in the torture cells of the state agencies.