LAKKI MARWAT: A jirga of Marwat elders here on Sunday decided to fight against terrorists if government and law enforcement agencies failed to launch decisive action against them.

The jirga was called in the wake of the killing of three tribesmen by terrorists in Bannu district two days ago. Along with elders, a large number of tribesmen attended the meeting held at Gandi Chowk on Peshawar-Karachi Highway.

Head of Marwat Qaumi Jirga Engineer Amir Nawaz Khan, Malik Ali Sarwar Khan of ANP, Lakki tehsil council chairman Shafqatullah Khan, Malik Najibullah Khan, Advocate Hamayun Khan, Marwat-Bettani Tehreek chairman Inamullah Khan, Naseer Turab of Rnra Aman Jirga, Dr Iqbal, Hafiz Asif Saleem, Advocate Asif Iqbal and Advocate Iqbal Hussain of PPP the jirga.

The highway remained closed to all kinds of vehicular traffic owing to the jirga. However, transporters used Manjiwala link road to continue their journey.

Jirga asks govt to arrest killers of three tribesmen without delay

The participants of the jirga condemned the brutal killing of three activists of Marwat-Bettani Tehreek and demanded of government to arrest the killers without delay.

They also asked the government and law enforcement agencies to take stringent measures against the elements involved in disturbing peace in the region.

“The blood of martyrs of Marwat tribe will not go waste,” they said. They added that the elders and tribesmen would continue their struggle for establishment of lasting peace in the area.

The jirga, through a joint declaration, announced that in the first phase, elders would meet with MPs from the district to seek their support for restoration peace and prevention of shedding blood of innocent citizens by terrorists.

“The jirga leaders will also hold a meeting with government functionaries for a result-oriented action against terrorist groups active in the district within a specified time,” it said.

The declaration said that if elders felt that no good news was coming from the government side, a call would be given to tribesmen to come out of their homes and take part in a decisive battle against terrorists.

“The owners of forests and mountains, where terrorists have set up their hideouts, will be warned to expel the monsters, otherwise tribesmen will launch action against them,” it said.

It said that members of Police Amn Committee would assist tribesmen in flushing out terrorists of forests and mountains in case of reluctance by the owners.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2025