LANDI KOTAL: The Action Committee of protesting khasadars on Thursday announced postponement of their March 15 demonstration at D Chowk in Islamabad after their meeting with Peshawar corps commander on Thursday.

Said Jalal, the chairman of the Action Committee, told journalists in Jamrud after the meeting that they agreed to present their charter of demands to the Peshawar corps commander, who would then discuss the matter with the provincial government.

He said that the top security official gave them an assurance that they would get a response regarding their demands till March 25.

Mr Jalal, however, said that their boycott of providing security to health teams during anti-polio vaccination campaign in tribal districts and their sit-in at the Jamrud Bab-i-Khyber would continue till acceptance of all their legitimate demands.

He said that Peshawar corps commander assured them that he would help them.

Sources privy to the meeting, however, said that the khasadars were made to agree to postpone their Islamabad demonstration on March 15 as the district administration in Bajaur tribal district wanted to ward off any unpleasant incident during the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the region on Friday.

Khasadars in Waziristan staged a protest demonstration during Chief Minister Mehmud Khan’s visit to the region and also refused to allow his police escort to enter the tribal district.

Sources said that the authorities wanted the khasadars to remain peaceful till at least the visit of prime minister to Bajaur as later the situation could be handled later.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2019