Difa-e-Pakistan Council


The Difa-e-Pakistan Council is an umbrella coalition of more than 40 Pakistani Political and Religious parties that advocate conservative policies such as closing NATO supply routes to Afghanistan and rejects the Pakistani government decision to grant India most-favored nation status.

Organization

Chief of Council

In 2012, the Chief of The Defence of Pakistan Council was Sami-ul-Haq.
The council is an alliance of right-wing groups, some of which are banned terrorist outfits. It is chaired by Sami-ul-Haq and includes leaders of Jamatud Dawa and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, operating under the name of Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat. Fazlur Rehman Khalil, a founder of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and currently head of the Ansar-ul Umma, is another leading cleric in the council. According to the council's website, 36 organizations or people are part of the DPC :

  1. JUI-S
  2. Jamatud Dawa
  3. JI
  4. Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat
  5. JUP
  6. JUI-N
  7. Jamiat Mashaikh Ahle Sunnah
  8. Muslim Conference AJK
  9. Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam
  10. Mohsinan-e-Pakistan
  11. Pakistan Water Movement
  12. Tehreek e Ittehad
  13. Muslim League Zia
  14. Awami Muslim League
  15. Tehreek-e-Hurmat Rasool
  16. Secretary Gen DPC
  17. Ansar ul Ummah
  18. AMTKN
  19. Pakistan Ulema Council
  20. Tehreek-e-Azaadi Kashmir
  21. Muslim League-Sher-e-Bangal
  22. AMTKN-International
  23. Sunni Ulema Council
  24. Christian Community
  25. Sikh Community
  26. Hindu Community Lahore
  27. Hindu Community Khi
  28. Jamiat Ittehad ul Ulema – Pakistan
  29. Jamat Ahle-Hadith
  30. Jamiat Ahle-Hadith
  31. Mutahida Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith
  32. Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam
  33. Jamiat Ashat Tauheed sunnah

Activities

The umbrella organization was formed in November 2011 in response to the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers who were killed by American gunships and warplanes along the Afghan border. Pakistan closed NATO supply routes to Afghanistan after the strikes but reopened the routes in July 2012 when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized. Thousands of supporters rallied in Islamabad on July 9, 2012 in protest of the government's decision to reopen the lines. Several other organizations such as Tanzeem e Islami send delegates for debate or speech to the Difa e Pakistan Council Forums upon request as non-member guest speakers or participants in debate, or in some cases as observers.