Islamabad, Apr 24: Hundreds of protesters demanding an end to US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal regions have blocked the main road to the border in the northwest, forcing authorities to halt NATO supply shipments to Afghanistan.
 The sit-in will continue today as the authorities suspended supplies to the NATO troops in neighbouring Afghanistan till tomorrow morning.
 Officials said that nearly 70 per cent of NATO supplies are transported through Pakistan, the most risky but shorter supply route.
 Suspected militants regularly attack NATO trucks in Pakistan, which has also forced the US to sign agreements with Russia for alternate supply route.
 Officials said that supply trucks and oil tankers for around 150,000 NATO troops were stopped in eastern Punjab province from heading to the border region in view of the protest.
 Some 300 trucks and oil tankers daily pass through Pakistan's Khyber Pass. A similar number also enter Afghanistan through Chaman border in southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.
 Cricketer-turned politician and chief of Tehrik-e-Insaf party Imran Khan, who had called for two-day protest, spent last night with hundreds of protestors on the main highway, connecting Pakistan with Afghanistan.
 "We will continue our campaign until America stops killing our innocent people," he told around 3,000 protesters on the outskirts of Peshawar, around 35 miles from the Afghan border. "It is our start against American slavery. The people have risen up. They will neither let the corrupt leaders nor do their American bosses stay in this country."
 Khan also offered his services to act as mediator for talks with militants.
 "I am ready to broker," he said, referring to any possible peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban.
 Senior leader of Tehrik-e-Insaf party Asad Qaisar said the protestors will also spend the day on Sunday and Imran Khan will announce future plan at the conclusion of the sit-in. The police did not intervene.
 Witnesses said that people from other areas started coming to join the protest this morning, he said.
 Anger runs high in Pakistan against the US drone strikes in the tribal areas, which CIA considers as the base for al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban militants for planning attacks across the border into Afghanistan.
 Despite the public resentment and Pakistan's protest, the US administration has rejected any possibility to halt the strikes.
 The protest comes a day after two drones rained missiles into North Waziristan tribal region, killing 25 people including women and children.
 There were more than 110 missile strikes in the tribal belt last year. In 2011, North Waziristan tribal agency has so fat witnessed 20 drone strikes.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST