Sit-in ends after pact on quadcopter incident

A weeklong protest sit-in against a deadly quadcopter strike in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa concluded on Tuesday evening following successful negotiations between protest leaders and government officials.

All entry and exit points that had been blocked by the demonstrators have now been reopened.

The drone attack occurred last week in the Hormuz area of Mir Ali, where a quadcopter dropped explosives on a residential house, killing four children from the same family and critically injuring their mother along with several other women.

The incident sparked widespread outrage, with local tribesmen and rights activists condemning it as a gross violation of human rights. The protest sit-in had persisted since the day of the strike.

According to protest leader Mufti Baitullah, the government and local tribal elders reached a consensus on key demands, which are expected to bring relief to the affected families and foster trust-building in the conflict-wracked region.

The agreement includes a compensation package for the deceased, an investigation into the Hormuz incident, immediate restoration of internet services, the release of a detained tribal elder and the replacement of a local security official.

Explaining the details of the agreement, Baitullah stated that a compensation package would be announced for the families of those martyred in the drone strike.

He further noted that law enforcement agencies would refrain from using drones, surveillance cameras, or mortar shells on the local population in the future.

Secondly, an impartial committee will be constituted to conduct a transparent inquiry into the Hormuz strike.

The local community has demanded representation on this committee to ensure the facts are accurately unearthed. Third, internet services in the region will be restored immediately to enable access to information and support educational and commercial activity.

Fourth, tribal jirgas will be convened to resolve the issues surrounding the release of tribal elder Malik Akbar Khan, the withdrawal of military personnel from Mir Ali Hospital, and the lifting of the curfew.

Fifth, a guarantee has been given that no drone attacks will be carried out under the current local security official's command. Protesters have warned that in case of any violation of these terms, they will shut down all operations of resource extraction companies operating in North Waziristan.

Local residents have described the outcome of the negotiations as a "partial success," stressing that they expect concrete actions rather than verbal assurances.