BAJAUR: A jirga held in Khar, the district headquarters of Bajaur, on Saturday vowed to go after the people involved in the killing of political activists.

Local elders and political activists participated in the jirga, held three days after the murder of Rehan Zeb Khan, an election candidate affiliated with PTI, who was killed by unknown assailants on Wednesday.

The participants expressed concerns over the increasing violence in the region, especially murder of Mr Zeb. They said murder of Zeb at busy Sadiqabad Bazaar near a police post had perturbed the residents.

They said Mr Zeb was a peaceful, educated and progressive person, who had spent his life improving of the soft image of the district, but his killing had concerned the people at large.

PML-N provincial vice-president and election hopeful Shahabuddin Khan, PTI’s former lawmaker and candidate Gul Dad Khan, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Aurangzeb Khan, ANP’s Sheikh Jan Zada, PML-N local president Malik Gul Kareem Khan, former governor and election candidate for NA-8 Eng Shaukatullah Khan, former provincial minister and poll candidate for PK-20 Anwarzeb Khan and Maulana Waheed Gul of JI were among those who spoke.

The speakers claimed the continued failure of the police in tracing those involved in the killing incidents reflected their poor performance. They noted that Bajaur witnessed a killing spree since the extension of the regular policing system in 2019.

The participants said they expected the law and order situation to improve after the former Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but to no avail.

They speakers lamented the police were not performing their basic responsibility of providing protection to the residents. It was decided that the people would take collective action against those involved in the murder incidents instead of waiting for the police.

“If people start taking joint and swift action against those involved in killing incidents like we were doing before the policing system was introduced in the region, I’m confident no one would be able to commit such incidents in future,” remarked Shahabuddin Khan

The participants also expressed displeasure over the police’s failure to trace and arrest Rehan Zeb’s killers.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2024