ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided to end its nearly four-month blockade of Nato supplies to Afghanistan.

A meeting of the PTI’s core committee held here under the chairmanship of Imran Khan on Thursday discussed a recent judgment of the Peshawar High Court which declared the stopping and checking of vehicles carrying goods to Afghanistan illegal.

Hearing a petition filed by a local trader, the PHC ruled that the checking of Afghanistan-bound cargo trucks by PTI activists was illegal and asked the government to protect human rights and freedom.

The PTI said in a statement that it had decided to end the blockade because of its commitment to the rule of law and respect for the judiciary.

It criticised the PML-N government for its failure to demonstrate respect for law and the superior judiciary by not implementing an earlier PHC judgment against US drone attacks. The judgment had asked the federal government to block Nato supplies and even shoot down the unmanned planes if the United States did not stop drone strikes.

The statement said the committee felt that the pressure exerted by the blockade had already resulted in a shift in the Obama administration’s policy and drone attacks were not taking place at the moment.

The committee also pointed out that it was the PTI which had built up the pressure against drones by its Waziristan march, supported by international human rights groups.

The party thanked its workers who helped make the Nato supply blockade a success.

The PTI had started the blockade on Nov 24 in protest against a US drone attack in Hangu district.

Meanwhile, PTI Peshawar district president Younas Zaheer said that a camp jointly set up by his party and the Jamaat-i-Islami on the Ring Road was wound up following the core committee’s decision.