Orakzai elders pledge to deny entry to PTM leaders

HANGU: The tribal elders on Friday announced not to allow the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders to enter the Orakzai tribal district.

Speaking at an Iftar party arranged by Lieutenant Colonel Irfan Ishtiaq Qureshi, the Orakzai Scouts-235 Wing Commander, in Kalaya, Malik Maseed Khan, Malik Izzat Khan, Afzal Abbas Mian, Malik Muhib Ali and others pledged that no anti-state elements would be allowed to disturb the law and order situation in the Orakzai district. They said that the tribespeople were ready to sacrifice their lives for the defence of the country.

“We will never allow PTM head Manzoor Pashteen to create unrest and cause violence in Orakzai,” Malik Izzat Khan declared. He added

that maintaining peace was the responsibility of the tribespeople.

The elders said that they supported the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They hoped the merger would help resolve the issues confronting them including joblessness, poverty, prolonged power cuts and corruption.

Lt Col Irfan Ishtiaq Qureshi said that Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a historic decision and would end the sense of deprivation among the tribespeople.