Gone missing: JUI-F activists protest against disappearances

MARDAN:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) activists on Thursday protested against the disappearance of three clerics and party members who went missing Wednesday night.

Protesters demanded the government to take action for their immediate recovery. Due to the demonstrations, traffic remained suspended at College Chowk.

Addressing the protesters, former JUI-F MNA Shujaul Mulk said Nasimur Rehman, Abdul Akbar and Ali Syed, residents of Garhi Kapoora, were ‘picked up’ by unidentified people at around 7pm from Barata Kallay Toru area of Mardan.

Mulk said they will extend their protest to other parts of the province if the ‘missing’ members are not recovered by Saturday.

Garhi Kapoora SHO Kausar Ali said the clerics had gone to attend a jirga to resolve a land dispute when the incident occurred. It is unclear who is behind this, he added. After getting assurances from DCO Ghulam Habib, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2013.