PESHAWAR, Jan 31: The tribal elders of South Waziristan Agency have threatened to march on Islamabad against drone attacks by the US in Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club here on Tuesday Malik Jalal Waziristani, a tribal elder, said that despite their protests the drone attacks were continued in tribal areas to kill innocent people.

“We are going to hold long march and stage a sit-in outside Parliament House on February 25 against the unprovoked strikes by US drones on civilian population,” he said.

Mr Waziristani said that common people of South Waziristan and other tribal agencies besides leaders and activists of political, religious and liberal parties and student organisations would participate in the long march. “We will not tolerate more killings of innocent people by drone attacks in Fata,” he said.

Flanked by Malik Ghulam Khan, Malik Faridullah, Malik Gulabat Khan and other elders, he said that tribesmen would stage a sit-in outside Parliament House where they would announce future course of action against the unprovoked US drone attacks. The tribal elder said that tribesmen were peaceful and patriotic people, who had rendered enormous sacrifices for protection of borders of the country. He said that they would not tolerate more US drone strikes in South Waziristan and rest of the tribal agencies.

On the occasion, Malik Ghulam Khan said that drone attacks in Fata were violation of human rights. He said that foreigners were not present in Fata. If government had any valid proof about the presence of foreigners, it should share it with tribal elders to arrest them, he added.

Mr Khan claimed that no foreigner was killed in drone attacks. “We will strongly resist any US aggression against the innocent people in Fata,” he added. — Bureau Report