PESHAWAR - To condemn the kidnapping and brutal killing of SP Tahir Dawar, activists of Awami National Party on Saturday held protest demonstrations across the province and asked the government to bring the killers to the court of justice.

In provincial metropolis Peshawar, a large number of ANP activists led by party’s central and provincial leaders including central Acting President Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, provincial GS Aimal Wali, MPAs, Salahuddin Momand, Khushdal Khan, Sardar Babak, and Shazia Aurangzeb were present on the occassion.

 The ANP leaders strongly condemned the brutal killing of Tahir Dawar and termed it failure on the part of the government and security agencies. Criticising the government, they added the incident showed that how much the government was serious in running the government affairs.

They also paid rich tributes to the slain police officer and expressed sympathies with the bereaved family in this time testing situation.

They asked the government to arrest the killers of SP Tahir Dawar immediately and award exemplary punishment to the culprits.

ANP provincial president and former chief minister Amir Haider Hoti had announced province-wide protests against the kidnapping and killing of SP Tahir Dawar. He had urged the party workers to stage protest demonstrations at district level on Saturday.

Similarly, protest demonstrations in other districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa including Bannu, Mardan and Charsadda were also held. In district Bannu, the protest was led by ANP Bannu chapter Abdul Samad.

Meanwhile, ANP Mardan chapter staged protest rally against the murder of police officer Tahir Dawar and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

The rally was started from party office and changed into a protest meeting in front of Mardan Press Club. The rally was led by former lawmaker and chairman district election committee Ahmed Khan, former lawmaker Gohar Ali Shah Bacha, Imran Manduri and other office bearers. The protesters chanted slogans against the federal and provincial government. 

Addressing the rally, speakers strongly criticised the federal and provincial governments. They added that if the life of a police officer is not secured in the country then how the life of common people will be secure. Speakers added everyone from motorway till Islamabad were searched and everyone was checked on several check points but despite of all these checking and searching processes in the day light, unidentified kidnapper kidnapped a police officer from Islamabad and killed him in the nearby country Afghanistan.

They added that it is amazing that a police officer was kidnapped and killed in Afghanistan despite of the strict security on roads and on the border. They added that the adviser of Prime Minister Iftikhar Durani issued false statement and claimed that Tahir Dawar is safe and in Peshawar. They added that the federal and provincial government has totally failed to provide security to the masses. Later on the protester dispersed peacefully.

Meanwhile, a protest demonstration against murder of Superintendent Police rural division Peshawar was held in Khyber.

The rally was organised under the banner of ANP Khyber chapter and scores of the party workers participated in it. They marched to Landi Kotal Press Club while holding placards and chanted full-throat slogans against the killing of the Pakhtun police officers.

Addressing on the occasion, their leaders including Manzoor Afridi and Sher Asghar Afridi categorically condemned the brutal murder of SP Tahir Dawar in Afghanistan after his abduction from Islamabad and said consecutive criminal incidents took place in last previous days put question mark on the efficiency of the incumbent government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

No competency was shown by the government to initiate measures to know whereabouts of the kidnapped Pakhtun official that was step motherly behaviour towards Pakhtun community.

The protesters demanded of the government to apprehended killers of slain Tahir Dawar and Maulanan Sami-ul-Haq and revised security measures to foil such criminal acts in future. At the end the marchers dispersed peacefully.

ANP activists of Bajaur tribal district chapter held a protest demonstration against the murder of SP Tahir Dawar. A large number of people participated in the protest which was held in Khar, the headquarters of Bajaur.

Addressing the protesters, the ANP president for Bajaur chapter Malik Attaullah, GS Gul Afzal and other leaders and tribal elders said such incidents are happening under a conspiracy to spoil relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They said it is the duty of the government to stop such incidents.

The ANP leaders said the kidnapping of a senior police officer from Islamabad in broad day light and then his killing in Afghanistan by the kidnappers indicates failure of the government. They demanded the government to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the culprits to justice.