Defa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) on Sunday threatened to step up its protest drive to topple the PPP-led government if it opened Pakistan's land routes for the halted Nato supplies. Over 40 different religious and political parties under the banner of DPC vowed to leave no stone unturned to defend Pakistan's ideological and geographical boundaries at the Defa-e-Pakistan Conference held at Mazar-e-Quaid.
Tens of thousands of religious and political activists attended the public gathering carrying their respective parties' flags, besides banners and placards. The charged participants were chanting slogans in favour of Islam and Pakistan, and against the US and its allies.
Balochistan issue dominated the mammoth gathering, as speakers like former chief of military spy agency - ISI, General Hameed Gul (retd), Chief of Jamat-ud-Dawa, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Chief of Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Munawar Hassan asserted to bring people of the violence-torn province into mainstream.
They warned the government against allowing Nato supplies through Pakistan's land routes, saying that the entire nation would begin agitations to overthrow the present government in reaction. The Council also announced to stage a protest demonstration on February 20 outside Parliament House against the possible resumption of Nato supplies.
Chairman of DPC, Maulana Same-ul-Haq vowed to make the country truly independent, saying the Nato supplies through Pakistan should not be reopened. He said the country's Islamic image has to be retained and would protect the religious schools from threats.
He said the nation wanted to get rid of the pro-US policies and asked the government to change its pro-US foreign policy. He warned of waging Jihad if the government did not quit the US alliance. The DPC chief called India a "disliked" nation, saying the neighbouring country was involved in terrorism against the Kashmiris.
He said the entire nation was united on one point agenda against the US imperialism. He demanded for stopping the US drone attacks in the country's tribal areas.
JI Chief Munawar Hassan alleged the government of committing 'criminal negligence'by not protecting Pakistan's ideological and territorial borders. He said the nation wanted to get rid of the present rulers for their bad policies. He said DPC had come into being to safeguard the country's ideological and geographical boundaries.
He said the council's agenda was to make the secure the national interests. He said the government had lied to the nation that Nato supplies were halted, as US Ambassador spilled the beans. He said the supplies to the invaders in Afghanistan still continued.
Hassan also demanded for an independent election commission to hold next general elections independently and transparently, saying under president Zardari no elections could be free and fair. He said the nation was united to defend its motherland against any aggression. He stressed the need of bringing the alienated Baloch people to the mainstream.
Chief of Jamat-ud-Dawa, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed hoped with the defeat to the US and its allied forces in Afghanistan, capitalism would also sink forever. He accused the US for causing unrest in Balochistan province deliberately, saying the sole superpower was undermining the province through its well-planned policies.
He expressed sympathy with the violence-hit Baloch people for injustices meted out to them. He assured full support to them for solution of their problems. He said DPC would hold an important gathering of all parties in Quetta on February 27 to review the "sensitive" issue.
He alleged former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) for killing renowned Baloch leader, Akbar Bhugti, saying that Musharraf is the killer of Bhugti. He also slammed the US diplomat, who allegedly pressured the Pakistani government to ban DPC.
Former ISI chief General Hameed Gul (Retd) urged the nation to get united to fight the country's 'cunning' enemies. He termed the DPC public gathering a big show to demonstrate national unity in Karachi.
He termed the Balochistan issue 'extremely disturbing', saying that "media and the US backed agents should decide whether they want to defend Pakistan or continue their support to the US".
Chief of Awami Muslim League (AML), Shaikh Rashid Ahmed alleged that the rulers' $60 million were deposited in the Swiss Banks and said the present government had destroyed the national institutions like airlines, railways and steel mills.
Chief of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Z), Ijaz-ul-Haq vowed to shed his blood to defend the nation. He accused the PPP-led government of attempting to roll back the country's nuclear programme.
Around a dozen of other speakers representing Jamat-e-Islami, Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jamat, Jamat-ud-Dawa, Tehreek-e-Insaf, Ansarul Ummah, Muslim League (Sher-e-Bangal), Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees, Jamait Ulema-e-Islam (Sami-ul-Haq), Tehreek-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool (SAW) etc., also spoke.