LAKKI MARWAT: Madakhel tribesmen of North Waziristan tribal district demonstrated in Bannu on Friday against delay in their repatriation and suspension of cash assistance.

The protesters took out a procession from Fazal Qadir Shaheed Park and converged outside the press club, carrying banners and placards highlighting their demands.

Tribal elders, including Malik Sharope Khan, Fatehullah, Usman and others, said militancy and military operations had displaced thousands of tribesmen in 2014, who had since been living in Bannu as temporarily displaced persons.

They said the government initially facilitated each displaced family with Rs20,000 cash assistance, which was stopped later.

The elders said non-provision of assistance amid backbreaking inflation had added to their troubles, and demanded of the government to repatriate the displaced families and restore payments.

Separately, a resident of North Waziristan tribal district was killed over a family dispute in Bannu, the police said on Friday.

They said Bakhta Noor and Payan attacked Janwaz Khan with daggers, killing him on the spot in Nawa Kallay Nar Jafar area.

The police said the attackers also belonged to North Waziristan. The body was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem. The police registered a case against the suspected killers on the complaint of the deceased’s widow.

Also, unknown assailants killed Shafiullah, a resident of Naurang town of Lakki Marwat district, with a firearm and a dagger in Hujramkhel Mandori area of Mirakhel.

The police said the body was taken to the DHQ Hospital for autopsy.

The police registered a case on the complaint of the victim’s uncle, Samiullah.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023