Bajaur jirga rejects military operation

To stage sit-in in Khar Bazaar on July 30

BAJAUR:

A joint Grand Jirga of Turkalani and Atman Khel tribes has once again rejected the military operation in the Bajaur tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The Jirga has announced holding ‘Aman Pasawoon’ and a protest sit-in in Khar Bazar on July 30 against the ongoing unrest and deteriorating law and order situation in the area and urged the government to take steps to establish order.

The Jirga unanimously voiced its opposition to the proposed military operation against the terrorists, saying that under the pretext of military operations, tribesmen are forced out of their homes.

The Jirga of Turkalani and Atman Khel tribes was held at Khar.

Dozens of political and tribal leaders and elders including Syed Akhunzada Chattan, Haji Sher Bahadur Salarzai, Maulana Khan Zeb, Qari Abdul Majeed, Malik Faqir Muhammad, Najeeb Khan Mamond, Aurangzeb Inqlabi, Malik Asghar, Malik Hifzur Rehman, Malik Fazl Rabi participated in the Jirga. Addressing the participants, the speakers prayed for the departed soul of the slain Senator Hidayatullah Khan and his colleagues, who were killed in Dama Dola bomb blast a few days ago, and demanded a transparent investigation into the incident. The speakers claimed that since 2008, more than 4,000 people have become victims of the war on terrorism in Bajaur tribal district alone and peace was still as elusive as ever.

The daily bomb blasts and target killings have ruined the lives of the people. The government has completely failed to stop the unrest, after which the people of the tribal areas are forced to protest against it.

The Jirga decided to hold a sit-in outside the district headquarters Khar on July 30 as part of ‘Aman Pasawoon’.

On this day all commercial centers across the district will be completely closed and there will be a shutter down strike, all the members will participate in in the rally with white flags.

They vow to go to any extent to establish peace.