Bajaur grand jirga urges govt, law enforcers to restore peace

KHAR: The elders and political leaders of a grand jirga on Wednesday condemned the reemergence of militancy and terrorism and urged the police and law enforcing agencies to take solid steps for the restoration of lasting peace in Bajaur tribal district.

The jirga was held in the backdrop of a recent improvised explosive device explosion on a van carrying police personnel to deploy the cops for the security of the anti-polio drive in various areas of Mamond tehsil in the district.Seven cops had been martyred and 28 others injured while the van was also badly damaged in the explosion.

Besides police personnel and others, the jirga was also addressed by former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Shaukatullah Khan, Pakistan People’s Party leader and ex-lawmaker Akhunzada Chattan, Auranzeb Inqilabi, Maulana Khanzeb of Awami National Party, Maulana Waheed Gul of Jamaat-e-Islami, Wajid Ali of Bajaur Youth Jirga and others.

The speakers demanded the government and law enforcing agencies to probe the negligence that why so many cops were transported in a single van in the prevailing volatile situation in the district.

They said that strict action should be taken for violating the standard operating procedures for security and deployment of cops to the remote parts of the district.The elders asked the government and state institutions to fulfill their prime responsibility of providing protection to people.

They said that the new wave of terrorism had created anger among the people and they wanted the police and other law enforcing agencies to ensure peace in the district.The jirga also decided to take up several demands, including restoration of peace, police force issues, Shaheed package for children of martyred cops with the inspector general of police during his visit to Bajaur.

The speakers also threatened to stage sit-in and rallies if the district administration and high-ups of law enforcers did not provide protection to the people and take solid steps for the restoration of lasting peace in Bajaur tribal district.