A representative body of local residents, Swat Qaumi Jirga, on Wednesday voiced its strong concern over the alleged arrival of armed bands on the mountain tops in the Swat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
The Jirga said that this has made the role of the state suspicious in the eyes of a common man.
The meeting of Swat Qumi Jirga was held in Mingora Press Club on Monday which was attended by representatives of all the political parties, clerics, local elders, lawyers, journalists and writers.
It was also attended by farmers who blamed that their fertile lands had been selected for the construction of Swat Motorway Phase II and it was just a waste of precious resources.
The Jirga demanded of the government to construct the Motorway Phase II on the bank of River Swat and spare the fertile lands.
They also criticized what they called the mysterious arrival of armed bands that are bent upon imposing their violent ideology over majority at gunpoint in the name of religion.
“Law enforcement agencies, security forces and all other departments are present in Swat still these groups managed to reach the district unnoticed. Their infiltration is a big question mark on the ability of all departments,” they said.
They added that such a development was not possible without the support of some official elements. “It is the responsibility of the government to ensure protection of life and property otherwise local residents will hold the government responsible for their losses,” they said.
The elders also hit out at police for registering FIR against the organisers of Khwaza Khela protest and demanded that the Action and Act of Civil Power Regulation should be abolished.
They announced that no local resident will migrate from the valley and will face the situation bravely. The participants announced that they would support the Swat Qaumi Jirga.
The Jirga also announced the formation of an action committee. All the district representatives of political parties will be members of the committee.
It may be recalled that widespread protests broke out in Swat and Dir Lower after attack at PTI MPA Laiqat Ali Khan which left four people dead and he himself was critically injured on August 6.
There were rumours that he was targeted after his family declined to pay extortion money to militants which caused further unrest in the region.
On August 8, four policemen were kidnapped by militants in Matta area of Swat who had been sent to the area to verify claims that militants had established a camp in the mountains.
This created widespread panic and unrest across Malakand Division which was the main centre of militancy in the province in 2009.
Police, however, issued a statement claiming that the district is in the control of civilian administration and any misadventure will be responded. It asked people to stay calm. It admitted the presence of armed men in mountains.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2022.
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