PESHAWAR - Leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Fata chapter on Saturday strongly condemned the killing of 18 tribesmen in tehsil Bara, asked the government to lift the curfew imposed in Khyber Agency, and end the ongoing military offensive in FATA.
“The government should announce a special compensation package for the victims and displaced families from Khyber Agency, and make arrangements for their repatriation to their hometown with honour,” PML-N Fata leader Haji Zahir Shah said while addressing a news conference here at the Press Club.
He added that a large number of innocent tribal people including women and children had been killed during the security military and search operations across Fata.
Flanked by Faqir Afridi, Said Wali Shah Afridi, Sohail Afridi and other party workers hailing from tribal agencies, Zahir Shah said that schools and hospitals were badly damaged during the ongoing military action in Khyber Agency. Traders were suffering major financial losses as economics activities were also badly shattered, while hundreds of people attached with different businesses had been rendered unemployed owing to the prolonged curfew in Bara.
“The law and order situation in the region was further escalated by imposing curfew and launching of military operations in Bara instead of bringing back normalcy,” the PML-N leader lamented. Only innocent tribal people were targeted during security forces operation for the last three years, he alleged.
“We will not tolerate genocide of the innocent tribal people any more, and it must be stopped,” he warned. The PML-N leaders also strongly condemned the use of forces against the already distressed tribesmen outside governor house and termed it totally against the traditions of Pakhtuns.
The asked the Governor’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to step down for his failure to improve the prevailing volatile situation in Bara, and rest of tribal region.
They demanded of the government to announce a special compensation package for the displaced from Bara and make arrangements for the repatriation of the displaced people to their hometown.