LANDI KOTAL: Negotiations between the district administration and the protesting tribesmen to lift blockade of the Peshawar-Torkham Highway ended without any breakthrough on Monday.

The tribals remained stuck to their demand of a government assurance to launch an impartial inquiry into the ‘extrajudicial’ killing of a khasadar.

Khyber deputy commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir heading the official team held talks with a negotiating committee comprising members of deceased Adnan Khan’s family and representatives from political parties.

Adnan was killed along with four other suspected terrorists in an alleged encounter with the sleuths of Counter-Terrorism Department in Peshawar on Friday night.

Even as the deceased was laid to rest on Sunday evening following two days of protests by the tribesmen, the protesters’ committee announced to continue blocking the highway till their demand was met.

Sources said that the deputy commissioner insisted on lifting of the road blockade before any official assurance about holding the judicial inquiry into the killing.

The negotiating committee of the agitating tribesmen, however, refused to accept the official demand, and later announced to resume protests on Tuesday morning.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2020