Will take up illegal confinement with army chief: Imran

Imran Khan joined protest to call for an end to extrajudicial killings and arrest of Rao Anwar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday joined Mehsud tribesmen in their protest in the federal capital as they called for an end to extrajudicial killings, as well as, the arrest of Rao Anwar who is wanted for the murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud.

He said that “the PTI will start a movement to guarantee that the people of tribal areas do not have to deal with what they did during the war on terror.”

“The merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is imperative.”

“I shall stand with you and guarantee that all those held in illegal custody or missing are released.

“Your voice will be heard and I will take up the matter with the army chief as well,” he said.

The PTI chief said that he would also call for the removal of landmines in the area. The protests against the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, who was among four killed in what was later found to be staged encounter led by then SSP Malir Rao Anwar, kicked off from Karachi and culminated into the movement for the rights of the people of Fata after the authorities were unable to apprehend Anwar.

The PTI chairman said that Pakistan should not have joined the American war, and “we should not have sent our army into tribal areas”.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2018.