KARACHI: People gathered outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Friday to protest against the April 10 airstrikes by the Pakistan army on a village near the Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency which allegedly resulted in the death of 73 civilians.
According to reports, the first bomb was dropped on the house of a Kukikhel tribesman who was serving in the armed forces while his brother was in the Frontier Corps.
As tribesmen and villagers rushed to the site of the bomb, another was dropped, resulting in further casualties, including of women and children.
Those gathered outside the KPC were mostly young and very angry. The banners and posters they were holding carried slogans such as, “Stop killing Pashtuns in FATA,” “Not in our name will you kill civilians,” and “Media do your job properly.”
“Not everyone in the tribal regions is a terrorist,” said a 19-year-old. “They are just like you and me. First they had to suffer at the hands of the insurgents and now they are being attacked by their own army.”
Others felt that such mistakes cannot be forgiven. “Over 70 innocent people dying is not acceptable,” said Meher, another protestor. “This is not the first time such a thing has happened and it cannot be ignored. Why is the media silent about these bombings?”
Another young protestor told The Express Tribune that the terrorists are not being caught while innocent are losing their lives in large numbers. It is “extremely saddening,” he said.
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