LAKKI MARWAT: Bannu elders have asked the lawmakers and district’s local body members to attend the protest sit-in organised by traders’ associations and civil society organisations, and to use their influence to bring peace and normalcy in the area.

They were addressing the participants of a protest camp set up at Maulana Abdul Sattar Shah Chowk on Friday.

The protest camp has been established to press the government for acceptance of 16-point demands including restoration of peace and action against armed groups.

Malik Hikmat Yar Khan brother of KP Minister Malik Pakhtoon Yar Khan, Shah Wazir Khan, Malik Zafar Hayat, Taimur Baz Khan, Abdul Samad Khan, Abdul Rauf Quraishi, former nazim Salim Khan Aamndi, Haji Sherzad Khan and other leaders visited the camp and addressed the gathering.

They said that people would go to any extent to establish peace in the region and make the district free from the menace of terrorism.

They declared that peace was inevitable for sustainable development and prosperity, and said that presence of armed groups was not acceptable to local residents anymore.

They asked the government to take action against anti-peace elements as it would help to enhance people’s trust in law enforcement agencies.

They said that the district’s public representatives would not be in a position to canvass for votes in the future if they did not show solidarity with the people at this critical juncture.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2024