BAJAUR: A large number of people attended the protest sit-in arranged by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl here in Bajaur tribal district on Friday to urge the authorities to fulfil their responsibility of providing protection to the local residents and maintaining peace.

Besides workers of several political parties, mostly of JUI-F, social activists and tribal elders also attended the sit-in held outside the Civil Colony, Khar.

The “peace sit-in” meant to make an urgent appeal for improving the law and order situation by ending the wave of violence against the activists of JUI-F and other parties was started after Friday prayers and it continued till filing of this report at 9:30pm.

The participants had designated the day for the protest after the bomb attack on JUI-F senior leader and Khar tehsil council chairman Haji Said Badshah on Aug 15.

Holding white flags inscribed with slogans such as “we want peace in our area”, the participants had brought several essential items with them to the sit-in venue, which showed they planned to continue the protest.

JUI-F district chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed and general secretary Maulana Laiq Khan, Awami National Party’s senior leader Maulana Khan Zeb, Pakistan Peoples Party’s former MNA Sayed Akhunzada Chattan, Youth of Bajaur chairman Rehan Zeb Khan, tribal elder Malik Shaheen Khan and several other notables addressed the participants of the sit-in.

They termed such gatherings necessary for bringing improvement in law and order in the district. According to them, the law and order situation had deteriorated over the past several months in the region.

The speakers were of the view that peace and normalcy were the basic components of life and development. They said that they would not sit silent over incidents of violence in the region.

They asked the authorities to fulfil their responsibility of providing protection to the local residents and said the sit-in would be continued till the authorities gave them a strong assurance of peace in the area.

A peace walk was also held from the party’s main office in Khar town to the Civil Colony, which was led by JUI-F district chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2022