SHANGLA: The residents of Shangla held a peace rally on Friday, and condemned the recent attacks on the police.

Shangla Olasi Pasoon organised the rally at the Alpuri Chowk. The participants carried white flags and posters inscribed with slogans for peace. They also chanted slogans.

Those spoke on the occasion included former senator Rahat Hussain, Bisham tehsil chairman Sadeedur Rehman, Alpuri tehsil chairman Waqar Ahmad Khan, Puran tehsil chairman Abdul Maula and others.

They said peace was their one and only agenda and vowed not to tolerate terrorism on their soil.

Faiz Mohammad, a notable from Shahpur area, questioned how the militants entered Shangla, attacked the police and fled after accomplishing their task without any hindrance.

“We, the Pakhtuns, are being killed in the name of so-called terrorism and operations against militancy. We ask the state as to how the militants sneak into Pakistan from across the border despite the border fencing,” Faiz Mohammad said.

Bisham tehsil chairman Sadeedur Rehman said they would always stand by their police and would not support any military operation in their region. He urged people to keep the police informed about the presence of any suspect in their villages.

He said it was duty of the security agencies to establish durable peace in the country.

Gulab Shahpuri, another participant, said they had long been affected by militancy, and now resurgence of militancy had raised a serious question on the performance of the security agencies. He said Shangla people resisted the Taliban in 2007-8, forcing them to escape the district.

Mr Shahpuri said they would back the police in eliminating any anti-state element in the district.

Rehmanullah, another participant, suggested the police should hold meetings with people living along the border and in the areas where militant elements exist to flush them out.

He demanded of the police authorities to equip the force with technology and required facilities to effectively cope with the militant threat.

CONVICTED: District and sessions judge awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs500,000 to an accused in a murder case of a woman lodged at police station Alpuri in 2021.

According to a police statement here the other day, the court awarded sentence to accused Khaista Khan who was facing trial under a murder case.

According to the case of prosecution, the accused had shot dead his daughter-in law for refusing to have illicit relations with him.

Moreover, another accused was sentenced to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs6 lakh by a local court in a murder case.

According to police, the accused Irfan Khan resident of Martung had stabbed to death a man in 2022. After over two years of trial, accused was proved guilty of murder offence, the police said.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024