October 22, 2024
Staff Report
LAKKI MARWAT
Thousands took to the streets in Bannu against the escalating lawlessness and called for peace. The demonstration was organized by the Bannu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the local traders’ union, reflecting widespread frustration over the deteriorating security situation in the region.
In a show of solidarity, traders closed their businesses as participants from various parts of the district made their way to the rally.
Women family members of missing persons also attended the rally. They voiced their anguish and demanded government intervention to restore safety and order.
Prominent speakers at the event included MNA Maulana Syed Naseem Ali Shah and provincial leaders like Mohammad Ibrahim of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and former provincial minister Malik Shah Mohammad Khan. They criticized the provincial government for its failure to implement a previously agreed-upon 16-point agenda aimed at improving security, which had been endorsed by an apex committee following a jirga in July this year.
The speakers expressed disappointment over the lack of tangible efforts to combat armed groups that have been active in the area, noting that local residents have seen no significant improvement in the situation despite previous protests. They highlighted that several community leaders and activists had faced arrests for advocating for peace and that some elders had even been placed on a watchlist under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Additionally, they reported that over a dozen policemen had been dismissed for raising concerns about their safety and that of their colleagues.
In a decisive move, the elders announced plans for a daily sit-in from Tuesday, at the Maulana Abdul Sattar Shah Chowk, planning to continue until their demands for peace and security were addressed by the government. The call for action underscores the community’s determination to see meaningful change and restore safety to Bannu.