New Delhi (NVI): Thousands of Pashtun tribal leaders converged in North Waziristan today to deliberate on the killings and other forms of torture which the community members are subjected to by the Pakistani military.
At the ‘jirga’, which is a traditional form of conclave that the Pashtun community holds when confronted with serious issues, the Pakistan army came under sharp attack for all that it is doing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the Pashtuns.
The Pashtuns are up in arms against the military over extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances and had called the jirga to decide their strategy over it.
“Utmanzai’s in N.Waziristan held a grand jarga today against deteriorating security situation & killings. The jarga’s declaration demands the army stop policing the area, for police to take charge & civilian authorities to take control of administrative affairs,” tweeted Mohsin Dawar, leader of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and Member of Pakistan’s Parliament (National Assembly), who is spearheading the campaign against the Pakistani military.
“…The people of N.Waziristan want to live in peace with respect that they deserve. The jarga’s demands r a reflection of the aspirations of the locals who continue to suffer all kinds of injustices,” he added, while posting the declaration adopted at the day-long conclave.
I want to thank all the tribes who participated in the jarga. The people of N.Waziristan want to live in peace with respect that they deserve. The jarga’s demands r a reflection of the aspirations of the locals who continue to suffer all kinds of injustices.#WaziristanPeaceJirga https://t.co/58CVdXoCdR pic.twitter.com/BzS489wOKU
— Mohsin Dawar (@mjdawar) February 5, 2021
The Pashtun community members have been suffering atrocities at the hands of Pakistani military for a long time but the latest provocation for calling the strategy meeting of the community leaders was the brutal killing of a 26-year-old youth Zia-ur-Rehman by Pakistani forces in Tapi village of North Waziristan on January 28.
Rehman was killed by the Pakistani military personnel while he was working in his fields. Later, his body was taken away to the army headquarters and handed over to the family late at night without any FIR being filed.
The killing has triggered widespread outrage among the Pashtun community and protests in Waziristan. The only demand of the protesters is that an FIR be lodged against the military personnel who fired and killed Rehman in cold blood.
