QUETTA, July 15: Thousands of leaders, workers and supporters of religio-political parties and groups comprising the Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) held a sit-in in the border town of Chaman on Sunday in protest against the government’s decision to reopen Nato supply routes to Afghanistan.

The participants of the DPC ‘long march’ had started their journey on Saturday from Quetta and reached Chaman after staying overnight in Yaro town of Pishin district.

The 129km march concluded after a public meeting in the border town that was addressed by DPC chairman Maulana Samiul Haq, Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni, Abdul Matin Akhundzada, Maulana Ameer Hamza and Maulana Sheikh Yaqoob.

They said that by participating in the march the people had shown that the resumption of Nato supplies was against their wishes.

The rulers had bypassed the people and violated parliament’s resolution on the issue while taking the decision.

“Restoration of Nato supplies is treachery with the motherland,” a DPC leader said, adding that the decision was against the honour of the nation.

The speakers said the rulers had taken the decision under immense pressure from their ‘foreign masters’ by trampling the will of the people but they would never accept such decisions.

They said the decision to reopen the supply routes should be withdrawn forthwith.

The leaders of the DPC said thousands of innocent people, including women and children, had died in drone attacks and the US and its allies would have to answer for the aggression.