MIRAMSHAH/BANNU: Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leader MNA Mohsin Javed Dawar surrendered to the district administration on Wed­nesday, prompting protesters in Boya and Miramshah, in North Waziristan tribal district, to wind up their sits-in after intense negotiations through a jirga, a senior government official said.

A senior police official said that Mr Dawar was presented before an anti-terrorism court in Bannu for physical remand on Thursday.

Special ATC judge Babar Ali Khan remanded the parliamentarian in the custody of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for eight days. He will be produced in the court on June 7.

The police booked Mr Dawar under various charges, including murder, attempted murder, terrorism and interference in official affairs. The CTD had nominated nine leaders of PTM in the FIR. An official said that the MNA was shifted to Peshawar after securing his remand.

Mr Dawar’s colleague, MNA Ali Wazir who is charged under terrorism laws, is already on physical remand with the Counter-Terrorism Department in Peshawar. Mr Wazir was arrested after clashes between security forces and PTM workers at Kharqamar check post last Sunday.

Protesters end sits-in in Boya and Miramshah

Little is known about the terms under which the jirga brokered Mr Dawar’s surrender to the authorities. But officials said that the parliamentarian had been assured that he would not be mistreated during detention.

Sources said that prominent elders of North Waziristan had brokered a deal between the district administration and Mr Dawar and persuaded the latter to surrender to the government. After successful talks the parliamentarian agreed to court arrest.

These sources said that security forces had besieged the home of Mr Dawar in Derpakhel near Miramshah for the last three days to arrest him. They said that the standoff was resolved after hectic negotiations and Mr Dawar agreed to defend his case in court.

Following the surrender of the MNA to the administration, supporters of PTM postponed their sit-in protests in Miramshah and Boya till Eid.

Anwar Dawar, a local leader of PTM, told media that officials of the district administration and members of the jirga presented four lambs (Nenvati) to sit-in participants in line with local customs and traditions seeking forgiveness over loss of life during a clash at the Kharqamar check post. He said that the sit-in was postponed on the request of the elders. Five people were killed and 15 others, including five soldiers, were wounded in the incident.

Before surrendering to the administration, MNA Dawar vowed that the PTM would continue its struggle. He hoped that he and his colleagues would come out of jail very soon. He said that his village had been under siege for many days; therefore, he decided to surrender to the “administration” which had filed an FIR against him.

He claimed that 15 people were killed during firing at Kharqamar.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2019