Khyber - The local members of parliament have yet to resolve the issue of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the Koki Khel tribe and reopen the Pak-Afghan highway for vehicular traffic.
Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Press Club, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Khyber district head Shah Rehman Shinwari said the Koki Khel IDPs had a genuine demand. However, their prolonged sit-in had worsened the hardships of Landi Kotal residents and hampered Pak-Afghan trade.
Flanked by the district spokesperson of the People’s Labor Bureau (PLB), Gul Bahadar, and PPP Tehsil Chief Fateh Rehman, Mr. Shinwari criticized Khyber parliamentarians for neglecting the Koki Khel issue. He said they had been elected to raise their constituents’ rights in parliament, not to collect government incentives.
He warned that if the Koki Khel IDPs’ demands were not met and the supply line to Landi Kotal was not resumed, the road blockade could lead to intra-tribal clashes.
The PPP Khyber chief called on the authorities to resolve the issue and restore normalcy on the Pak-Afghan highway. He also threatened an indefinite protest if the matter was not addressed soon.
