KHYBER: Traders in Lar Bagh Markaz, the Tirah valley’s main business centre, have established a protest camp against non-payment of compensation for the damage caused to their shops due to artillery shelling.

Scores of traders and shopkeepers have been camped outside an army camp near the main mosque of Lar Bagh Markaz since Sept 18 to condemn the official ‘apathy’ towards their grievances.

Haji Sher Mohammad, a traders’ leader, who is spearheading the protest campaign, told Dawn from the protest site that several shops were damaged when some artillery shells fell in the centre of Lar Bagh Markaz on the night of August 12, causing huge financial losses to the owners.

He said they lodged a complaint with the local security officials the very next day and they were promised adequate compensation with their ‘case’ also forwarded to the district administration and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority for fulfilling the required formality for payment of instant compensation to the affected shopkeepers and traders.

Say artillery shells landed in Lar Bagh Markaz on night of Aug 12

He, however, regretted that the promises were not fulfilled despite their repeated meetings with both the security and administrative officials.

“We were left with no other option but to start a protest in front of the army camp,” he added.

Sher Mohammad said that Tirah traders were still reeling from the financial losses caused by flash floods in July, which swept away dozens of shops and kiosks, while the mortar shells further aggravated their financial woes.

The traders’ leader said that the local Dispute Resolution Council members and office-bearers of the Tirah Siyasi Ittehad were witness to the pledges made by the security officials about payment of compensation, but now they had backtracked on their promise, and instead directed them to approach the PDMA and the district administration for seeking financial help.

While criticising the district administration officials for not paying even a visit to the Lar Bagh Markaz, Sher Mohammad vowed to continue their protest till their legitimate demands were met.

Meanwhile, life has gradually started to return to normalcy in Bhati Kalay, Buttan Shareef, Zakhakhel and Shalobar areas of the valley after the recent intelligence-based operations by the security forces against the armed members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Islam and some other local outfits.

Residents in these regions confirmed to Dawn that the armed patrolling of the suspected militants had considerably been reduced with an improvement in the security situation.

Security forces had started IBOs in selected areas on August 20 after videos of armed militants patrolling the streets went viral on social media.

Sources in these areas told Dawn that the families who had shifted their women and children to safe places after the start of military operation, had now gradually returned to their homes, while children too had started attending to their schools.

“Fear among the local residents has considerably reduced while life is also returning to normalcy and travel between Tirah and adjoining areas has also increased,” a resident in Warsak area told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2024