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PESHAWAR: Protesters continued to stage demonstrations for the third day on Thursday in Kurram tribal region's Parachinar area demanding the release of 23 tribal leaders and the imam of a mosque who were detained by law enforcers three days ago, DawnNews reported.
The tribesmen protested over the arrest of tribal leaders and a cleric of a mosque who they said was also exiled forcefully.
"Political administration must be replaced," the protesters chanted.
Member of National Assembly (MNA) Sajid Hussain Toori from Kurram region's NA-37 constituency asked both the political administration and tribal leaders to exhibit some flexibility and suggested them to resolve the issue through a jirga.
Hussain has contested the elections in the constituency as an independent candidate.
The Toori Bangash Supreme Council claimed that firing on peaceful protesters on the behest of Political Agent Kurram tribal region, Riaz Masood was tragic.
The council also demanded Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi to take sou moto notice over the incident and also insisting on the lifting of an Army and FC curfew imposed in the area since the past three days. The council said that the curfew had paralysed life in the region.
Kurram agency, which is close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, is one of the seven regions in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), governed by tribal laws.
An extremist insurgency led by the Pakistani Taliban plagues the region while the area is known to be infested with militant and sectarian violence.
Comments (16) Closed
Harassment of Shias in Parachinar.
The system of political agent should be abolished and the law should be the same as in other parts of the country. The special status of FATA should be abolished as well creating a new province. The tribes, especially the ones that have always stood by Pakistan and its army, should be treated with same respect.
law enforcement agencies have to be allowed to do their jobs. These kind of protests are not tolerated anywhere in the world.
Who is the boss here, army or these hoodlums.
@Kublai it's not just Shia's they are treating Pashtuns of FATA in the same way irrespective of their sect's under Draconian FCR law.
It is a great conspiracy hatched by enemies of Pakistan to destabilize the region by creating a vacuum among the population. Great care need of the hour especially the elders of the Agency.
@Sher Ahmed Jatt
YOU ARE VERY RIGHT.
THEY SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY, AND ABOVE ALL WITHIN THE LAWS OF FATA AND LAWS OF PAKISTAN.
M.MIRZA
MONTREAL , CANADA
@Sher Ahmed Jatt NONSENSE! If Pakistan wants to be anything resembling a democracy, there must be freedom of speech and religion. Parachinarians are mostly Shia and this is why the government is repressing them. Many democracies around the world, including my own, allow large crowds to protest peacefully and criticise the government freely. - from Australia.
Throughout FATA people are being treated very harsh by security forces as well as taliban.All the people of fata knows very well that who impose these talibans on us and how these taliban are contributing in fighting the proxy war.Need of the hour is to stand united against those who are exploiting us.Establishment is saving the state at the behest of tribal people blood.
@Kublai The report didn't say that any shia preacher was arrested. Please use your right of expression carefully and refrain from commenting unfounded things. Thanks
All mullahs of different sects are equal in the eyes of Law. Let the law do its job!!!!!
FATA is ruled by FCR a British era law where no court of law is valid and is under a single person willing and choice
May Allah establish peace and harmony in Pakistan once again (Ameen).
@Ibrahim Khan : there is no conspiracy, accept the problems do exist and try to solve them. Sun rises in Pakistan in the morning , not to burn the whole country, it is same in all countries. just come out of your shell.
@Ibrahim Khan we can live in this delusion that all this is coming from enemies. The enemies are within our own circles.
The news article is confusing as well as the comments from the people having no background knowledge. The issue is as follows:
The renowned cleric, Imam of the main mosque entertaining a good public support favoured Sajid Hussain Turi in May 2013 elections andhe won with his support. the opponents, a retired Air Martial and a local aristocrate revenged their defeat by threatening them with an armed movement. The local administration succumbed to their demand sending on exile the leader of the majority. The people protested against this injustice. The administration arrested the leaders. The people took it to the streets staging a sit in Front of the PA house. The administration blockaded food, water and medicine supply to the demonstrators. This lead to the full blown agitation against the administration.