People in Swat rally for peace

MINGORA: On the call of Provincial Minister for Forests and Environment Fazal Hakeem Khan Yousafzai, a peace march and a rally was organised at Nishat Chowk here on Wednesday.

Many workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), traders, lawyers, and members from civil society organisations, holding banners and placards, participated in the rally in Mingora, the headquarters of Swat.

Addressing the rally, PTI Malakand Division President and Minister for Forests Fazal Hakeem Yousafzai said that no-one would be allowed to disturb peace in Malakand Division including Swat.He said the people of Malakand rendered matchless sacrifices for the restoration of peace and nobody would be allowed to sabotage it.

“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will not compromise on peace and the rights of the people and the province as he has opposed the launching of the military operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We will organize peace rallies all over the province,” he said, adding that PTI leader Murad Saeed was the first political leader who had warned about the deteriorating law and order in Malakand.

Fazal Hakeem maintained that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voted for the PTI to bring peace and end their sufferings. He warned the federal government against launching the operation without taking the provincial government into confidence. Mayor Swat Shahid Ali Khan urged the people to unite for the restoration of peace as some forces bent upon sabotaging the law and order.

He added no one can carry out the operation in any part of the province without the permission of the provincial government. He asked the government to establish industries in Swat to create job opportunities for the local youth. There was no militant in Swat as peace was established in the valley due to the sacrifices of the local people, he added. He said that in the past militancy had destroyed the tourism sector, which was the only source of livelihood of the local people.