LANDI KOTAL/MINGORA: The Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement has demanded immediate return of all the remaining displaced families of Bara and Tirah to their homes along with handing over security responsibilities to Khasadar and Levies at all checkposts in Khyber Agency.

The demands were made during a public meeting of PTM at Qambarabad Market in Bara on Sunday. Hundreds of tribesmen, mostly youth, attended the meeting.

Ali Wazir of PTM, Imran Afridi of ANP, Shah Faisal Afridi of JI, Iqbal Afridi of PTI, Dr Said Alam Mehsud and Ajmal Afridi of Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Tehreek, Bazar Gul Afridi of Khyber Union Organisation and activists of some student organisations addressed the gathering.

The speakers asked the federal government to constitute a judicial commission to help in locating the missing persons from Fata.

They demanded of the security agencies to present before the court the tribesmen in their custody.

They said that it was against human rights and civil liberties to arrest common people and keep them in illegal confinement without framing any charges against them.

The speakers said that extensive checking of tribesmen at checkposts was also in violation to the right of free movement of any individual. They said that it should be stopped immediately and responsibility of security at those checkposts should be handed over to civil administration.

Ali Wazir said that their movement gained momentum after showing strength in Quetta. He alleged that some intelligence and security agencies were creating hurdles to them to stop them from holding more such gatherings.

The student leaders demanded lifting of ban on mobile net service in the tribal areas that was imposed in June 2016.

In Swat, the legal fraternity formed Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement Lawyers Forum and vowed to support the movement legally and create awareness among people about their rights.

The office-bearers said that formation of the forum was decided in a meeting of lawyers in district barroom on March 17.

“Some lawyers in the barroom presented a resolution for formation of the forum that was passed by a big majority after which many other lawyers also joined the forum,” said Mohammad Iqbal Isakhel, who was elected president of the forum.

He said that they closely followed PTM and its activities and came to the conclusion that the movement was justified in its demands. “We Swatis experienced the same situation as faced by the people in Waziristan,” he said.

He said that the forum was not limited to Swat only but every lawyer in entire Malakand division could join it.

Other members of the forum said that many lawyers in Swat were thinking about such a platform to work for the constitutional rights of local people and support PTM.

“We do not have any other agenda or cause but we want constitutional rights for every citizen in Swat. we will fight for the rights of people following law and Constitution,” said Nasrullah Khan, a member of the forum.

The lawyers also announced to participate in the PTM meeting in Peshawar on March 25.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2018