BAJAUR: Speakers at Bajaur peace rally on Sunday demanded of the government to take concrete measures to improve the hard-earned peace in the district.

The gathering was organised by Bajaur Peace Action Committee, a body of local elders, political and religious leaders and traders, at Khar bazaar.

Highlighting the situation in the district, speakers stated that there has been no peace and normalcy in the region for the past several years. They said that no one was feeling secure and safe in the district.

They recalled that as per Constitution of the country, it was the prime responsibility of the government to provide security to citizens. However, they alleged that the prevailing poor law and order in the district showed that the government failed in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility of providing security to people and their properties.

Speakers said that people in other parts of the country, the residents of Bajaur were too giving taxes to the government to maintain their safety and security. “The government has yet to show its seriousness in providing security to the people of Bajaur who have been crying for durable peace in the region since long,” they added.

They said that the growing lawlessness had not only put the lives of people at risk but the situation was too affecting their routine activities. They also called for reopening of border routes with Afghanistan for bilateral trade without further delay.

Awami National Party MPA Nisar Khan, PTI local chapter president and former MNA Gul Zafar Khan, PPP provincial leader and former lawmaker Sayed Akhunzada Chattan, farmer MNA and JI district emir Sahibzada Haroon Rasheed, JUI-F local chapter head and former senator Maulana Abdur Rasheed, ANP district president Gul Afzal Khan, PML-N president Malik Gul Kareem Khan, Khar tehsil council chairman Haji Said Badshah, Nawagai tehsil council chairman Dr Khailur Rehman, ANP leader Maulana Khan Zab, Malik Riaz Khan, Imran Mahir, Mian Habib Gul, Shah Naser Khan and several other addressed the rally.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2025