ISLAMABAD, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A two-day march against attacks by U.S. spy aircraft in Pakistan's militants-infested tribal regions Sunday peacefully ended in the country's northwest but failed to enter South Waziristan, local media reported.
The security forces and authorities stopped a large number of marchers from entering the restive South Waziristan tribal region over security concerns.
The marchers planned a big demonstration in Kotki area of Waziristan against the American strikes but army officials after consultations with the organizers convinced them to drop the plan in view of uncertain security situation in the area.
The marchers returned to Tank, a main city near South Waziristan, where cricketer-turned politician, Imarn Khan, who led the march, spoke to thousands of marchers and tribesmen that he was successful to attract the world attention to the serious issue of U.S. drone strikes.
"We have achieved our objectives to convey our message to the world community that U.S. drones kill innocent people and cause collateral destruction," he told the marchers in Tank district near South Waziristan.
Khan, Chief of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf or Justice Movement, said he had earlier announced that he will not opt for any clash with the authorities if the security forces stop the march.
"We have done whatever the government and the rulers could not do," Khan said. He said that international media and rights groups are now criticizing the illegal drone strikes as the march highlighted the issue at international level.
He said that he had brought with him activists of American civil society and international media to meet the tribesmen in Waziristan. He said the U.S. strikes are killing innocent people, rejecting the American claim that they only target militants.
An American rights activist told the marchers that she has travelled from the United States to apologize for the deaths and sufferings of the people in tribal regions.
The Peace March started from the capital Islamabad on Saturday with hundreds of vehicles and after a night stay in the city Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, they started their journey towards South Waziristan Sunday morning. But the security forces stopped them at a check post from entering Waziristan.
The army officials told the organizers that the march would not be allowed in view of threats to the participants. They convinced the marchers to drop the plan and to return to Tank city in settled area.
A Pakistani Taliban group Saturday threatened bomb attacks on the participants of the march saying that "Jews and Christian" from the United States are participating in the march.
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