Protest against Khyber mortar shell deaths

PESHAWAR:

Various political party activists, student unions and tribal journalists condemned the gruesome incident in which stray mortar shells hit a neighbourhood in Bara subdivision of Khyber Agency killing nine people on Saturday.

The activists staged demonstrations on Shershah Suri Road on Monday, demanding immediate halt in military activities in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata). The demonstration was led by President Khyber Union Haris Khan Afridi. The union is a representative body of journalists working in Khyber Agency.

Protesters said that security forces kill civilians and declare them militants. They also complained that due to the curfew in tehsil Bara, people are confined to their homes and cannot continue their daily activities, which is worsening economic problems.

They demanded that Pre­sident Asif Ali Zardari and Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Masood Kausar take notice of the incidents and punish the culprits.

Meanwhile, in separate demonstrations, activists of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Khyber Agency, Insaf Student Federation, Afridi Students Union (ASU) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf asked Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of the incident.

JI activists chanted slogans against Governor K-P and the leader of ruling Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali Khan. They held placards inscribed with slogans against military generals.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2012.