Thousands of tribesmen on Tuesday rallied in Miranshah, North Waziristan, protesting the fatal shooting of NA-40 candidate Mohsin Dawar, which claimed three lives and left several injured.
Local residents, along with members of the NDM party and the Darpa Khel clan, turned out in force for the demonstration. Notably, Mohsin Dawar hails from the Darpa Khel sub-clan of Dawars.
The impassioned protestors blockaded the Miranshah-Mir Ali and Miranshah-Datta Khel Roads, halting all vehicular traffic.
Marching from Tableghi Markaz to Miranshah Press Club, the crowd vociferously denounced the police for what they deemed unjustified firing.
Leading the protest were Malik Saifullah Darpa Khel and Adil Dawar, among others. They accused the authorities of electoral malpractice, alleging that Mohsin Dawar had won the polls, yet another candidate was declared the victor.
Read NDM chief Mohsin Dawar injured by cops firing
Expressing outrage, they demanded a judicial inquiry into the shooting, which also wounded Mohsin Dawar. They insisted on the swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the deadly gunfire, labeling it an act of state brutality against unarmed demonstrators.
Adil Dawar, a prominent NDM leader, vowed to sustain the protests until justice prevailed, emphasizing their determination to see Mohsin Dawar rightfully acknowledged as the election winner by both the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan.
“If the government intended to select, they should have declared it before the polls,” he remarked, condemning the police for firing on innocent, unarmed protestors, resulting in three fatalities.
However, negotiations led by DSP Miranshah, Syed Jalal Wazir, tempered the tensions, persuading the protestors not to escalate the situation further. Wazir clarified that no policemen were injured or killed in the previous day’s firing, seeking to defuse the volatile atmosphere.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th 2024.
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