KHYBER: Speakers at Khyber Aman Pasoon (peace uprising) in Bara on Sunday rejected military operations, formation of peace committees and said that people of Khyber would no more tolerate self-imposed terrorism, lawlessness and shedding of blood of innocent tribesmen.

Organised under the banner of Bara Siyasi Ittehad (BSI), the gathering was attended by people of Khyber district in a large number. BSI president Sherin Afridi, MNA Iqbal Afridi, MPAs Suhail Afridi and Abdul Ghani Afridi, tribal elder Malak Waris Khan, former federal minister Hameedullah Jan and a number of local politicians and social activists addressed the gathering.

Speakers in their emotional speeches conveyed to the authorities concerned that people of Khyber through their Sunday Aman Pasoon rejected intimidation through extortion calls, kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings, targeted bomb attacks on their houses and terrorising locals in the name of extremism.

“Our voices can no longer be silenced through such inhuman and unlawful acts. We will continue to raise our voices against such excesses and inhuman acts,” they declared among vociferous slogans in favour of peace and rejection of militancy and military operations.

Speakers allege innocent people are harassed during ‘so-called search operations’

Speakers alleged that innocent people were harassed during so-called search operations while sanctity of private houses was also infringed with locals picked up for interrogations on pretext of having affiliation with outlawed groups.

They called upon all security agencies, counter-terrorism department and police to refrain from raiding the houses of innocent tribesmen without prior warrant and stop unnecessary checking of people at the so-called security checkposts, which most of the tribesmen took as a personal insult.

“The people of tribal districts have lost their faith and trust in the role of law enforcement agencies as they are mostly involved in unconstitutional and illegal acts, which will ultimately result in promotion of lawlessness and insecurity,” they said.

Expressing their deep concern and displeasure over deteriorating law and order in the region, speakers reminded the state institutions to fulfil their prime responsibility of restoring peace and safeguarding the lives and honour of common people.

While demanding immediate abolition of Action in Aid to Civil Power, they termed it a black law and alleged that it was the mother of lawlessness, injustice, vices and insecurity in tribal districts.

They insisted that a surge in holding of peace gatherings in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a manifestation of common people’s displeasure over government’s failure to restore peace and ensure security of its citizens.

“We believe that a deliberate attempt is made by some elements or institutions to sabotage the hard earned peace in Khyber and other tribal districts with law enforcement agencies required to keep an eye on the movement of suspected people and take practical steps to foil all attempts of sabotaging peace,” they said.

Speakers said that the last two decades of militancy and extremism adversely affected economy of tribal areas and badly impacted the social fabric along with pushing local youth towards extremism.

“We want to give a clear cut message to all the stakeholders that tribesmen have now become aware of all such conspiracies and will foil all attempts aimed at imposing war of terrorism on us with a strong determination,” they said.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2024