Crying foul: North Waziristan traders dance for right to permits

Accuse political administration of being biased in doling trading permits.

MIRANSHAH: Friday morning was just like any other in Mir Ali Bazaar with the usual hustle and bustle when several tribesmen gathered, blocked the Mir Ali-Miranshah Road and began performing the traditional Attan dance. Turns out, the dance was a rare form of protest by local traders against the political administration for failing to provide them permits.

Leading the protest, Mir Ali Traders Association President Muhammad Daraz Khan said they have appealed to the agency’s political administration to have open permits for supply of flour, ghee, sugar and other household items, however, the administration has only issued three permits to as many agents in the agency. He said the permits should be for all the traders and a monopoly should not be formed in this regard.

Zaheenullah, a tribal elder and trader, said it is the right of traders to have permits. He explained that specific agents of the political administration have been issued permits for transporting fertilisers and dry fruits whereas the rest are deprived. He said the problem also persists outside the agency, in Frontier Region Bannu and Bakka Khel, adding police officials on every check post demand Rs200 to Rs1,000 in bribes from tribesmen transporting goods.

Traders also lashed out at security forces for keeping their selected agents in place to transport goods and edibles to and from the agency.

They demanded the chief of army staff, Khyber-Pakhtunhkwa governor, and the prime minister to take notice of the issue and warned that if their demands are not met they would block the Pak-Afghan Ghulam Khan Highway.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2014.