ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday assured the hundreds of protesting tribal people here that he would raise his voice for the arrest of people involved in the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter in Karachi and for the recovery of missing persons belonging to tribal areas.

He was speaking to the protesting tribal people who have been staging a sit-in outside the National Press Club since Thursday, demanding the arrest of suspended SSP Rao Anwar who is reportedly involved in the killing of 27-year-old aspiring model Naqeebullah.

Mr Khan said he would seek the army chief’s help for the recovery of missing persons and for the payment of compensation to those affected by landmines-related incidents in tribal areas.

While showing solidarity with the protesters, he said the tribal people had been deprived of their basic rights and they were facing problems because all constitutional rights were not provided to their areas.

Imran calls for arrest of Naqeebullah’s killers

The protesting tribal people have declared the killing of Naqeebullah a part of what they called the Pakhtun genocide.

The PTI chief said he would request Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to play his role for the recovery of missing persons.

He said another important issue in tribal areas was the presence of landlines because incidents related to them had claimed many innocent lives and left many other people disabled. He vowed to take up also this issue with the army chief.

Mr Khan said it was very unfortunate that the people in government did not understand tribal people’s problems, adding that even some sitting ministers were not aware of the difference between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.

He criticised those who opposed the merger of Fata with Khbyer Pakhtunkhwa, saying that such people wanted to keep tribal people far behind those live in other areas.

“Currently 72 per cent residents of Fata are living below the poverty line. During the war against terrorism, they were arrested in different provinces,” he added.

Earlier, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq also visited the protesting tribal people and assured them that he would take up the issue of Naqeebullah’s killing in the National Assembly and Senate.

He expressed concerned over the killing of innocent people by police in fake encounters, saying that the responsibility of the police was to protect the life of people and not to kill them in fake encounters.

Mr Haq said a large number of tribal people had migrated to Karachi in search of better economic opportunities, adding that they should be allowed to live in peace.

While talking about Rao Anwar, he said, the suspended SSP should be arrested and brought to justice as soon as possible.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2018