PESHAWAR/LANDI KOTAL, Jan 19: Tribal elders from Khyber Agency on Saturday threatened to resume protest against the recent Bara killings after two days if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor failed to address their grievances on the matter in line with the recent bilateral decisions.

They had gathered in Bagh-i-Naran area of Hayatabad here for a jirga to review the progress on the implementation of the decisions they had taken with the governor on last Wednesday, and finalise their future course of action.

The elders-governor meeting had taken place after a large number of people from Bara staged a sit-in on Sher Shah Soori Road adjacent to the Governor’s House along with bodes of 18 people, including three women, allegedly killed by security forces on last Tuesday.

The tribesmen had agreed to disperse after the governor assured their elders of immediate implementation of bilateral decisions, including the holding of an independent inquiry into Bara killings; provision of Rs0.4 million special compensation to the families of the dead people along with Rs0.3 million normal compensation; interrogation of the accused; release of innocent persons, and that security forces would never stay in Bara for a single day if local tribesmen guaranteed peace there.

The Saturday jirga was attended by former federal minister Waris Khan, former MNA Mohmood Shah, former senator Nasir Khan, Awami National Party leader Imran Afridi, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf leaders Iqbal Afridi and Javed Afridi, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Shah Faisal and traders’ representative Maqbali Khan.

The participants said they were assured by the relevant authorities that there would be no indiscriminate artillery shelling in Khyber Agency to prevent collateral damage, but on the contrary, a mortar shell hit a house in Shalobar area on Friday, killing a couple.

They regretted that the government had yet to provide compensation to the families of those killed in Bara on last Tuesday.

Some complained that the authorities misbehaved with the residents of Khyber Agency on their way Peshawar.

It merits mentioning here that all roads leading to Peshawar from Bara have been closed for four days affecting patients and students bound for Peshawar the most.

Meanwhile, PML-N and PTI leaders from Fata declared the Bara killings the worst example of barbarism and brutality.

In separate news conferences at Peshawar Press Club, PML-N leaders Wali Shah, Faqir Afridi and Zahir Shah and PTI leader Dr Bashir said also flayed torture of peaceful protesters by police.

They said curfew had been imposed in Bara for three years and that security forces had killed 2,200 innocent people, including women and children, there in the name of search operations.

They also complained that all major Bara markets had been closed since imposition of curfew.

In Landi Kotal, a local jirga formed to handle the post-Bara killings situation has developed differences, it is learnt.

Since the killing of 18 people allegedly by security forces in Alamgudar area, the jirga met thrice but failed to agree on the members of the proposed jirga.

A member said the jirga was powerless as it was not fully authorised to negotiate its demands with the government.

He said the jirga had been awaiting response from the governor to its demands.

The member said the residents of Bara, especially youths, were angered by the non-compliance with the assurances the governor had given to the jirga members on January 16 when the bodies of the victims of Bara shelling were placed outside the Governor’s House in Peshawar.

Some jirga members voiced displeasure over the behaviour of some political figures saying they wanted to hijack the jirga to serve their own interests.

Bazaar Gul, a member of the jirga, said some jirga members affiliated with political parties wanted to score political points instead of finding a lasting solution to the problem.

Hashim Khan, another jirga member, said a fully authorised and a truly representative jirga could negotiate with the government.

He said the existing members were too weak and inexperienced and could be easily influenced by the government functionaries.

It is learnt that MNA Hamidullah Jan wanted more representation of local elders and inclusion of the relatives of those killed in Alamgudar shelling.

Meanwhile, the jirga on Saturday agreed to meet the political agent of Khyber Agency tomorrow (Monday) to apprise him of their viewpoints and demands about Bara killings.

When contacted, political agent Mutahir Zeb confirmed that he would meet the jirga members on Monday.