MINGORA: The Swat Qaumi Jirga on Friday cancelled its planned sit-in after the military and civil administration accepted its demands, including withdrawal of FIR against the Feb 18 rally protesters. The sit-in protest was scheduled to be held at Nishat Chowk here on Sunday (Feb 25).

According to a statement issued by the office of Swat Qaumi Jirga, the demands were accepted after a series of meetings held between its members and the military and civil administration.

Malakand division commissioner Syed Zahirul Islam, DIG Akhtar Hayat, military officials, elders of Swat Qaumi Jirga, including Mukhtar Khan Yousafzai, Khwaja Mohammad Khan, Zahid Khan, Khurshaid Kaka, Ahmad Shah, Abdul Khaliq, Fazal Ahad, Karim Shilmani, Asghar Khan, Umar Ali, Fazal Maula, Shah Rom Khan, Riaz Khan and Saleem Khan participated in the meeting.

Elders say police to perform security duty at checkposts; FIR withdrawn against protesters

Earlier, the jirga had announced to stage a protest and sit-in at Nishat Chowk in Mingora on Feb 25 against the strict checking at security checkposts in Swat and the registration of FIR against the residents of Swat who had participated in a rally against the strict checking on Feb 18 besides construction of Swat expressway on agricultural lands.

Spokespersons for the jirga, Khurshaid Kaka and Ahmad Shah, said that on the conclusion of the final meeting held at the Circuit House the military and civil administration accepted all the demands of the jirga elders.

“Responsibility of checking at all the security checkposts will be given to police where people will be treated in a pleasant manner in accordance with Pakhtun values and traditions; FIR against the protesters have been withdrawn; Swat expressway will be constructed along the Swat River; unannounced search operations by the security forces will not be conducted; and local people will not be forced to perform security guard duty in the night,” the spokespersons told Dawn.

They said that the civil administration also accepted their demand that the local people would be allowed to dig out sand and gravel along the Swat River. They said that after acceptance of their demands the jirga cancelled the protest and sit-in which was going to be held on Feb 25. The jirga elders thanked all those who supported them and the military and civil administration for accepting their demands.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2018