Thousands rally in Bara to protest killing of 2 students

BARA: Thousands of people on Friday gathered at the Bar Qambarkhel area in Bara tehsil to express anger at the killings of two students in a firing incident and to demand the restoration of peace in Tirah valley of the Khyber tribal district.

Two students were killed and four others sustained injuries when mortar shells exploded near them in Tirah valley three days back.The elders and political leaders, including MNA Iqbal Afridi, MPAs Abdul Ghani Afridi, Sohsil Afridi, former federal minister Hamidullah Jan Afridi, PPP leader Wilayat Khan Afridi and Sher Shah Afridi, Khyber Union President Murad Saqi Afridi, Jamaat -e-Islami Bara head Khan Wali Afridi, ANP vice-president for Khyber Shireen Afridi, PTM leader Imran Afridi, PMLN leader Zahir Shah Afridi and local people attended the jirga.

The speakers expressed concern over the killings of two innocent students and said the dwellers of Tirah valley had been suffering due to the military operations and militants’ activities in the area.

They said that tribal people had rendered matchless sacrifices for the sake of the country but the government had failed to restore peace to Khyber district, particularly in Tirah valley.“It was the 2nd incident in Tirah that dozens of children were hit by mortar shells in one month,” Malik Muhammad Hussain said.

He said that the elders should prepare a joint strategy to prevent terrorist incidents and end the ongoing unrest. The speakers urged the tribal people to show unity to prevent such incidents in future. The elders formed a 60-member advisory jirga to evolve a plan of action.Meanwhile, Bara Seyasi Ittehad staged a protest against the killings of two innocent students at Khyber Chowk in Bara Bazaar, blocking the Pak-Afghan highway for traffic.