PESHAWAR, Oct 4: The Waziristan Students’ Federation on Tuesday demanded that the government should immediately halt its military operation and end killing of innocent tribesmen in both parts of Waziristan.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here, president of the federation’s Peshawar university unit, Faridullah Khan, vice-presidents Sher Nawaz Khan and Mohammad Naeem and unit secretary of the Agriculture University, Zeeshan Khan, expressed concern over the uncertainty prevailing in Waziristan and urged the government to end the operation against the peaceful tribesmen.

Earlier, students of the University of Peshawar, the Khyber Medical College, the NWFP Agriculture University and the Islamia College held a demonstration against what they called the US-sponsored military operation in Waziristan.

Carrying placards inscribed with slogans against the military operation, they chanted slogans against the rulers and accused them of following ‘American agenda’.

So far, the government had conducted about 120 military actions in Waziristan to catch foreigners but had failed to achieve its goals, while innocent tribesmen had lost their lives, the students’ leaders said.

They appealed to human rights groups to raise their voice against the killing of innocent tribesmen who had rendered great services for country.

They said successive governments had treated the tribesmen as third-rate citizens.