Sleepless in the suburbs: Families decide to move to safer ground

After nine people were killed on Tuesday night, residents think it is time to relocate.

PESHAWAR:

One by one the villagers walked into Zafar Ali Shah’s house on Wednesday to pay their respects to the nine family members who were killed in cold blood the night before in Masho Khel village, just outside of Peshawar.

Villagers said the only surviving member of the immediate family is a 15-year-old boy who was visiting relatives when the militants attacked.



They pooled in their resources and collected Rs60,000 to bury Shah, a member of the aman lashkar, and his family who were shot dead by militants at around midnight. The family’s men and boys were held hostage and shot near the graves of other family members who were killed 12 days ago. Shah was recommended by the lashkar to work for the community police. He used to earn Rs10,000 every month.

On February 1, four members of the same family were gunned down in exchange of fire with a militant who was then killed by the police.

Tuesday night’s incident has made residents question their decision to stay where they are. Many of them have already started moving out of the area.

Moving on

Masho Khel is a small but historical village in Peshawar district, adjacent to Akka Khel area of Khyber Agency. It is known as the birth place of Pashto poet, Abdul Hameed. For centuries the area was famous for its fertile land and easily available irrigation water from Bara River. In the last 10 years, however, this changed. Its proximity to Khyber Agency has reportedly made it accessible for militants based in the agency.

A local elder who did not wish to be named told The Express Tribune that after Awami National Party’s Mian Mushtaq was killed in a targeted attack and then after the attack on Sharafat Malik’s house where three people were killed on January 29, many farmers and government servants left their homes and moved to the city. He added that they had done so to keep their families safe.

“We have been left behind to look after our small patches of land and cattle,” he said. “No one in this village can now afford to buy or rent a house in localities such as Hayatabad.” He added that after the latest attack, everyone just wanted to keep their families safe.

The elder claimed that it was unfortunate that the government, police and local peace militia members did not help out with organising the funeral. He added that they had been left to deal with the militants by themselves.

Protest on Kohat Road

Residents of Masho Khel village protested against the attack on Zafar Shah and his family on Wednesday. They blocked Kohat Road for half an hour, causing in a traffic jam. The protest was led by social activist Darvaish Khan who demanded that the government take notice of the brutal incident.

He said that the crime ratio had gone up in the area and the government had not done anything to control it as yet. He added that the police had also failed to provide security to the people.

“The residents of the area are gripped by a sense of fear,” he said. “If the situation persists, the condition will get worse.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2014.