PESHAWAR: Former MNA from North Waziristan Agency Mohammad Kamran Khan has expressed concern over the killing of two persons at Bakakhel IDP camp and demanded punishment to the personnel involved in the case.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, he said that two men were killed and 10 others wounded at the camp of internally displaced persons (IDPs) on June 21when the people were protesting for permission to go out of the camp before Iftar.

“The personnel of security forces had opened fire on the innocent people and they deserved to be awarded punishment after probe into the case,” Mr Khan said and added that protest was the right of every citizen, but the IDPs were given death sentence for no fault of theirs.

The former lawmaker said that the high-ups who had ordered the opening of fire were equally responsible in the case. He said that they were making consultations to devise a strategy for protection of the people and to protest because they could not remain silent on killing of their people.

The IDPs, he said, had left their homes for the sake of the soil and restoration of peace in the country and they deserved to be taken care of instead of targeting them with bullets. He urged the government to pay compensation to the families of the deceased and injured people without any delay.

He also demanded provision of jobs to the heirs of the victims so that they could earn livelihood for their families.

Mr Khan said that the government should take pragmatic steps to develop the tribal region, and provide Ramazan and Eid packages and increase the quantity of ration for IDPs besides ensuring smooth power supply to the IDP camps. He also asked the government to take steps for early repatriation of IDPs to their homes.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2015

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