JI leader demands probe into Hayatabad operation

PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Khyber chapter head Shah Faisal has demanded judicial inquiry into the Hayatabad operation as he claimed innocent tribal people were killed in the incident.

Speaking at a news conference Saturday, he said the killing of civilians had created a sense of insecurity among the Pakhtuns striving for their rights. He said it was the responsibility of the government to provide security to the people. The incident proved that the government had failed to shoulder its responsibility, he added.

“We condemn the killings of innocent people in this operation. We want justice for the innocent tribesmen whose blood was shed in the name of terrorism,” he said. He maintained that the four people identified as Amjad, Tariq, Saeed and Murad Khan, who were killed in the operation, were residents of Bara tehsil in Khyber district.

Insisting that the slain men were not militants, the JI leader said they had rented a house in Hayatabad locality and were using it as a hujra (male guesthouse). He said that elements like retired police officer Rao Anwar were the black sheep in the ranks of the police as they had brought a bad name for their department and should be brought to justice. Asking the authorities to produce evidence that the slain men were militants, he said they were not affiliated with any militant group.

He alleged that the police misguided the nation by branding innocent people as militants. He claimed the police were not on good terms with the slain men over an issue.

“The Pakhtuns have rendered matchless sacrifices in the war against terrorism and an incident like this would deepen their sense of deprivation,” he pointed out.