LAKKI MARWAT: Despite heavy showers, the tribesmen of Janikhel area of Bannu district continued their protest sit-in for the third day on Tuesday, demanding immediate arrest of the killers of four teenage boys, while placing the bodies of the victims in front of the local police station.

Provincial transport minister Malik Shah Mohammad and former MPA Adnan Wazir also participated in the demonstration to express solidarity with the bereaved families.

On the occasion, Mr Wazir and elders said despite presence of law enforcement agencies and operations against miscreants and terrorists in the region the tribal people were receiving bodies of their near and dear ones every other day.

The tribesmen said local people were not even safe in their homes as anti-state elements were out to sabotage peace.

“The four teenage boys who had been kidnapped three weeks ago were brutally murdered. The government should take notice of the killings and bring the perpetrators into clutches of law,” demanded a protester.

The tribesmen also demanded Shuhada Package for the families of the victims.

The elders warned that they would take the bodies to Peshawar and Islamabad if their demands were not met.

Provincial transport minister Malik Shah Mohammad, who also belongs to the area, expressed solidarity with the families of the victims. However, he asked the local people to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to maintain peace in the area.

He feared that the region might again become a safe haven for terrorists if the tribesmen did not realise their responsibilities to assist the security forces and other LEAs for bringing durable peace to the region.

The bodies of the four teenage boys aged between 13 to 17 years were recovered from a field on Sunday.

The victims were identified as Ahmadullah, Mohammad Rahim, Razamaullah and Atifullah.

A relative of the deceased said the boys had gone on hunting birds about three weeks ago but they did not return to their homes.

He said the families of the victims had no enmity with anyone.

The police said they had registered a case against unknown killers under relevant sections of law and were making efforts to arrest them.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2021