Growing lawlessness: Participants of Bannu sit-in vow to stay put

BANNU: Former provincial minister Syed Hamid Shah on Tuesday said the Bannu Qaumi Jirga would continue its protest sit-in until all demands were met.

Speaking at the protest camp established by the Bannu Qaumi Jirga and trade organizations outside the Bannu Police Lines, he said the protesters were united and would not back down until their rights were secured.

Calling for the release of a former cop and the reinstatement of dismissed police personnel, he urged the government to remove the names of jirga elders from the Schedule IV of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Hamid Shah said the struggle for the rights of the people would continue until the last drop of blood. “We have always fought for the resolution of issues through peaceful means, and we will continue to play our role at every forum to secure the rights of the people,” he declared.

Malik Mamoor Khan and other local elders were also present at the sit-in camp.Hamid Shah criticized the provincial government and district administration for attempting to provoke the community by placing some elders on the Schedule IV.

He said the protesters were demanding the restoration of peace and an end to the acts of violence. He said the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leaders and the elders of all tribes stood in solidarity with the people of Bannu.He urged the government to address the 16-point demands presented by the jirga and take steps to redress the grievances of the people in Bannu.