LAKKI MARWAT: A peace rally was staged in Lakki Marwat city here on Friday two days after six policemen were martyred in a militant attack in Kurrup Par area on Wednesday.

The rally appeared from Shaheed Aabid Ali Chowk on the Tajazai-Lakki Road and converged at Qazi Ishfaq Chowk.

Local welfare organisations organised the rally, wherein the participants carried national and white flags and raised slogans, demanding restoration of peace and harmony in the district. Political and social activists and people from different walks of life participated.

The speakers said Marwat tribesmen were peace loving and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They said they won’t allow miscreants to destroy peace.

They condemned the killing of policemen and asked the government to bring the perpetrators of the terror attack to justice.

“The government should revisit its anti-terror policies keeping in view the recent surge in terrorism incidents in the province,” said Malik Riaz, a local ANP leader.

The participants vowed not to let the ‘hard-earned’ peace go waste.

Separately, employees of Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSC) demonstrated in Bannu on Friday against nonpayment of salaries.

The protesters passed through bazaars and converged at the press club.

The protesters claimed Bannu had topped the ranking of most clean and beautiful cities, but some elements couldn’t digest the feat and caused removal of then chief executive officer Syed Tauqeer Hussain Shah.

The protesters said they had been without salaries for last three months, besides around 80 fixed and daily wagers had lost jobs. They demanded payment of salaries and regularisation of fixed-pay employees.

SHOT DEAD: Assailants killed member of a nomad family and took away a married woman with them in Mela Mandrakhel village of Lakki on Thursday night.

Police said the attackers were also nomads and belonged to Bhakkar district of Punjab.

A complainant, Amir, 25, told the police he along with his wife and father, Mohammad Aslam, 45, were asleep in tents when the attackers, including Ghaffar, Abdullah, Ashraf, Azam, Liaqat, Leeq, Asad and a woman, attacked them over dispute.

He said the attackers shot dead his father and took away his wife with them.

The police registered a case against the attackers.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2022