PESHAWAR: Relatives of the tribesmen who lost lives or sustained wounds during military operation in North Waziristan Agency set up a protest camp and staged demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, demanded inquiry into the matter and compensation for destruction of their houses.

The protesters led by tribal elder Malik Riaz included dozens of relatives of the victims. Narrating their ordeal, they said that they were unable to reconstruct their houses destroyed during the operation and demanded of the government to compensate them.

They said that people were being killed in drone attacks and military operations, but the government was least bothered to provide basic facilities to the affected families. They asked for early withdrawal of the military from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

“Why tribal people are being killed at the behest of others?” asked Tariq Dawar, who was holding a picture of his loved one. He said that the killing of innocent tribesmen must be stopped.

“We will not tolerate more killing and destruction in North Waziristan Agency and the rest of Fata. We want peace and development in Fata,” he said, adding that the tribesmen had rendered numerous sacrifices for the motherland and they should not be treated like this.

Pir Aqil Jan, a tribal leader of JUI-F said that the tribal people had been badly affected in the ongoing war against terrorism and they were deliberately kept backward. He said that the tribal people had done nothing wrong and they deserved to be treated like other Pakistanis by providing them all basic facilities.

Commenting on the recent operation in Mirali area of NWA, Mr Jan claimed that a large-scale destruction had taken place in the tribal agency, particularly killing of innocent people. He said that only innocent local tribal people were killed in the military action.

The JUI-F leader accused the incumbent federal government and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor of taking dollars on the head of innocent tribesmen. He demanded of the government to immediately withdraw troops from Fata and compensate the affected people so that they could start normal life.