PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf staged a protest here on Friday against the alleged drone attack in Mardan, demanding that responsibility should be fixed as to who carried out the suspected strike, and payment of compensation to the families of the victims.

Last Saturday, nine persons, including women and children, perished in a suspected drone strike in the mountains of Katlang tehsil.

PTI leadership also demanded that the slain should be declared as martyrs, and punishment should be awarded to the perpetrators.

The protest demonstration was staged outside the building of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. A large number of PTI leaders and workers participated. They were holding banners and placards against the alleged drone attack.

Speaking to mediapersons, PTI general secretary for Peshawar region MNA Sher Ali Arbab said they staged the protest against the suspected drone attack.

“Neither the provincial government nor the police high-ups concerned were in the know of the alleged drone strike,” he said.

“We demand from the federal government to order inquiry into this incident and fix responsibility,” Mr Arbab said. He further demanded of the federal government to award compensation to their relatives of the victims.

He said they were also against the terrorists and support the institutions in war on terror, adding the institutions should take other stakeholders on board before launching any operation against the terrorists.

“We will not stop the government from taking action against the terrorists roaming around but the locals and other stakeholders should be taken on board in this regard,” he said.

He reiterated that the military operations without the support of the masses had little effect.

PTI’s Peshawar president Irfan Saleem said they were protesting against the killing of innocent shepherds and their family members in the alleged drone strike.

He said PTI incarcerated founder Imran Khan’s stance proved correct with the “killing of the civilians” in the alleged drone attack.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2025