LAKKI MARWAT: Thousands of people staged a rally in Karak district on Sunday and demanded of government and law enforcement agencies to restore peace and normalcy within 15 days.

People from across the district holding white flags and raising slogans for peace participated in the rally, which appeared from Jail Chowk and converged at Saddam Chowk.

MNA Shahid Khattak, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Sajjad Barkwal, MPA Khursheed Khattak and Jamaat-i-Islami former provincial chief Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, former MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz, Shamsur Rehman, Advocate Sultana, Javed Iqbal, former MPA Gul Sahib Khan, Malik Amaad Azam, Mohammad Zahoor and Maulana Tasleem Iqbal of Jamaat-i-Islami, Maulana Mehmboob Janan, Shah Nawaz of ANP, Mian Akhlaq of PML-N and Khursheed Alam of PPP attended the rally.

Speakers announced to form a Lashkar (private armed force) to deal with terrorists and anti-peace elements, saying that those disturbing the peaceful environment in the district would be treated as a common enemy of people.

An elder said that any local resident involved in facilitating anti-peace elements would be dealt with an iron hand. He asked government and state institutions to fulfil their responsibility of protecting life and property of people.

Mushtaq Ahmad said that the people of the district exhibited their strength and power by organising the mammoth rally for peace. “It is a clear message to the state and its institution that people will not tolerate lawlessness and any kind of terrorism on their soil,” he added.

Local elders said that restoration of peace and protection of people were prime responsibilities of government. They said that residents of the district would not allow anyone to disturb peace and use their soil for subversive activities.

They said that locals wanted peace and security and government should ensure it at all costs. “The facilitators and harbourers of terrorists are the enemies of people and they will be dealt with sternly,” they added.

Elders asked armed groups to release government officials and other individuals, if they were in their custody, immediately. They also asked government to produce detainees belonging to the district in courts.

They said that they would formulate future line of action if government failed to restore peace in the district within the given timeframe.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2025