Protest held against violence in Kurram Agency
The demonstrators were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans like, “Talibanization Na Manzoor” (No to Talibanization), “Kurram Agency Ka Muhasra Khatam Karo”, (end the siege of Kurram Agency), “Humme Raste Do” (open our roads). They were chanting slogans against the government for not taking appropriate measures for restoring its writ in tribal areas. They also raised slogans against the NWFP governor and called him main hurdle in resolution of the matters.
Later, the protesters led towards the UN country office where they submitted memorandum to the UN authorities urging it to take notice of the human rights violation in the FATA particularly in Kurram Agency.
The protesters complained that they were stranded at Islamabad and Rawalpindi and could not travel to their native towns due to the occupation of the Tal-Parachinar road by armed militants.
Later, parliamentarians from FATA led by MNA Sajid Hussain Turi called on adviser to prime minister Rehman Malik and urged him to take notice of the issue as the ongoing clashes would result in dangerous consequences.
Interior ministry sources said that the meeting that lasted for two hours discussed the law and order situation in the troubled areas where sectarian clashes were continued for more than a year in which hundreds of people from both sects had been killed and wounded. “We will redeploy Kurram militia in the Agency to restore the writ of the government in the area and maintain peace and security,” the sources quoted Rehman Malik as having told the meeting.
Rehman Malik assured the meeting that the government would reopen Peshawar-Parachinar Road and provide security to the lives and properties of the passengers. He said that aerial service of helicopter would be started from Peshawar to Parachinar on the expenses of the federal government on temporary basis until the road is reopened for general transportation.
A special committee jointly headed by MNA Sajid Hussain Turi and Senator Rasheed Ahmed was constituted, which will make sure the regular supply of flour and other edibles to the area. The meeting was also told that all the displaced families would be rehabilitated.
Later, MNA Sajid Turi told Dawn that the adviser told the meeting that the government would soon convene a grand jirga in Peshawar in which political leaders including JUI- F Chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Alama Sajid Ali Naqvi, Senator Abbas Komaili, other religious scholars from the two sects and local elders would participate to take measures for establishing durable peace in Kurram Agency.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Environment Hamidullah Jan Afridi, Minister for Population Welfare Humayyun Khan Kurd, MNA Munir Khan Orakzai, MNA
Sajid Hussain Turi, MNA Malik Jawad Hussain, Senator Rashid Ahmed, MNA Eng. Shaukatullah, MNA Akhwanzada Jattan, MNA Bilalur Rehman and Noor Aalam Khan.