KP Assembly Treasury members claim multiple deaths in Islamabad

PESHAWAR: Treasury and opposition party members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday narrated their ordeals and tales that happened at D-Chowk in Islamabad, Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last week of November and Babra killings in 1948 in Charsadda.

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, including cabinet members, talked of, what they alleged was state-sponsored violence at Islamabad D Chowk on November 26, claiming multiple deaths, injuries and missing of PTI workers.

The PTI lawmakers claimed that more than 100 of their workers were killed, several others were injured and had gone missing allegedly as a result of indiscriminate fire on peaceful protesters.

The ruling party members warned they would once again move towards Islamabad for the release of their incarcerated leader but this time their ‘action’ would be different. On the other hand, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F member from Kurram, Riaz Shaheen, held the provincial and federal government responsible for bloodshed and clashes in the Kurram tribal district where he claimed more than 132 people were killed, dozens of houses and shops were set on fire while hundreds of people were displaced as a result of bloody clashes which started on November 22.

Awami National Party Nisar Baz Khan accused the PTI leadership of playing with the sentiments of the Pakhtun youths and said that youngsters were used as tools against the federal government for political gains. He said that those who had led them to Islamabad D-Chowk had run away from the site and left the Pakhtun youths in the lurch.

Nisar Baz Khan said his party had condemned violence and firing over the PTI workers in Islamabad as he said that the ANP workers and Khudai Khidmatgars had fallen victim to such violence in Babarha and Liaqat Bagh in the past. The ANP lawmaker said the PTI leadership and workers from Punjab had remained silent spectators to the ‘final call’ of their jailed leader.

“The PTI-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must take provincial rights and share from the federal government and improve the deteriorating law and order situation in the province,” he said and added the PTI government must abolish and “inhuman” laws in the province.

Special Assistant Chief Minister on Population Welfare Malik Liaqat Ali alleged that the federal government had directed hospitals in Islamabad not to share data of the injured admitted to the hospital while the dead bodies were not handed over to relatives. “I have learnt from reliable sources that some dead bodies were disfigured with chemicals by hospital management,” he alleged and added he witnessed the straight fire over the peaceful workers on November 26.

He termed the D-Chowk incident another Babra where the law enforcing personnel had opened straight and indiscriminate firing on peaceful protestors.PTI MPA Samiullah Khan claimed that about 100 workers were killed and hundreds received bullet injuries at D-Chowk, asking the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to announce special awards and compensation for what he called martyrs of democracy.

Johar Marwat and Mehboob Sher of the PTI also participated in the debate and warned that they would once again take protest rally towards Islamabad and next time the PTI workers would not be empty handed but would secure the release their leader from the prison.

JUIF MPA Riaz Shaheen from Kurram district said that he had already informed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to constitute a special committee to resolve disputes in Kurram district which was vulnerable to sectarian clashes and violence.

“The provincial government had adopted criminal ignorance over Kurram and engaged in protest at a time when the whole district was under sectarian violence and armed clashes,” he said and demanded that only a ceasefire between the rival groups would not bring complete peace in the area. He said that demolishing all bunkers and trenches and de-weaponization of the armed people should be made for permanent peace in Kurram.

The lawmaker demanded the implementation of the Murree Accord signed between Shia and Sunny Muslims in 2007.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law Aftab Alam Khan informed the House that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had ordered the dismantling of all bunkers in Kurram and empowered the local elders and administration to find out permanent solution to ongoing crisis and disputes in Kurram.

“This is a sensitive issue and could not be solved within a day or week,” the provincial law minister said and added that the deweaponization drive would also launched in Kurram district.

ANP MPA Nisar Baz Khan said his party had condemned violence and firing over the PTI workers in Islamabad as he said that the ANP workers and Khudai Khidmatgars had fallen victims to such violence in Babarha and Liaqat Bagh in the past.