Women stage sit-in against Qari Ilyas murder

BAJAUR:

For the first time in the history of Bajaur tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) women staged a sit-in against the brutal murder of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) leader Qari Ilyas on Tuesday.

Widespread protests erupted against the murder on Monday which continued for second consecutive day. On this occasion the women of the Qari Ilyas family also participated in the sit-in including his widow and mother. They blamed that Qari Ilays repeatedly demanded of the authorities that there were threats to his life but it was denied each time so the district administration was responsible for his death.

On Tuesday Qari Ilays was laid to rest in his ancestral village. The last rites were attended by thousands of people outside the deputy commissioner office where the sit-in is going on. All the markets in Bajaur district also remained closed as a protest. Lawyers also didn’t attend the courts as a solidarity with the strike.

Two years ago his elder brother had also been killed by unidentified people.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2021.