SWAT/LOWER DIR: The leaders of different political parties and local elders have said that they will not allow militants to disturb the peace of Swat.

Addressing a conference organised by Swat Qaumi Jirga at Swat Press Club on Wednesday, they said that they rendered great sacrifices for restoration of peace in the district. They said that they would not allow anyone to disturb the peace.

The local leaders of all political parties expect Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf besides elders, traders, transporters, lawyers and youth activists attended the conference.

Mukhtiar Khan Yousafzai, Abdul Khaliq, Khwaja Mohammad Khan, Khurshid Kakaji, Abdul Jabbar Khan, Sher Shah Khan, Zahid Khan, Ahmad Shah Khan, Fazl Ahad, Umar Ali Yousafzai, Sher Bahadar Khan, Sabir Khan, Irfan Chattan, Khalid Mahmood, Amjad Khan, Siraj Khan, Zubair Khan and others addressed the conference.

Threatens protest over registration of FIRs against participants of rally held recently

They said that the people of Swat would never allow militants to disturb peace. They said that the people of Swat were true Muslims and the slogans of so-called Sharia by militants could not befool them.

The speakers said that militants should not try to introduce their version of Islam by killing them. They added that they would not allow anyone to rule them with the help of weapons.

They also condemned police for lodging FIRs against some of the peaceful protesters recently in Khwazakhela. They said that people of Swat would take to the streets said if the FIRs were not withdrawn. “It is strange that police did not lodge FIR against those [militants] who shot injured their DSP but they immediately registered cases against the peace activists in Khwazakhela,” they added.

The jirga members also condemned the proposed route of the second phase of Swat Expressway and termed it the economic murder of the people of Swat. “About 50,000 kanals of agricultural land and orchards will be affected and more than 500,000 trees would be chopped off while 100,000 people will financially be affected due to the present route of Swat Expressway,” they said.

In Lower Dir, hundreds of residents of Maidan staged a rally against the deteriorating law and order situation in the area and threatened to take up arms if government failed to provide protection to them.

They demanded of the government to immediately arrest the people involved in attack on MPA Malik Liaquat Ali Khan. Four persons were killed and three others including the lawmaker were injured in the attack.

People from all parts of Maidan attended the rally. The rally was organised by Maidan Action Committee in Lal Qila the other day. The workers of all political parties and local elders attended the rally.

The participants of the rally, carrying white flags and placards inscribed with slogans for peace, marched on the road in Kumbar and gathered at Lal Qila sports ground.

The rally was addressed by president of committee Saeed Gul, ANP MPA Haji Bahadar Khan, PTI MNA Bashir Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Izazul Mulk, PTI tehsil chairman Ashraf Salar, JI youth wing district president Ateequr Rehman, Ali Shah Mishwani and others.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2022