BANNU: Thousands of people on Monday gathered at the Preti Gate Chowk in Bannu City to express anger at the poor law and order and demand the restoration of peace.
The local elders and the members of the business community in Bannu organized the protest rally to condemn the growing lawlessness and press the government to take steps for the restoration of viable peace.
The protest demonstration led to the closure of markets across the city, where public transportation also remained suspended. The business activities came to a halt due to the well-attended protest.
The protesters called for steps to end the violence and urged the authorities to remove the names of the individuals placed in Schedule IV of the Anti-Terrorism Act.They also demanded the release of a former cop and announced the establishment of a permanent protest camp outside the Bannu Police Lines, which would continue until their demands are met.
Many women, whose family members had gone missing, also participated in the protest. They also demanded the recovery of their near and dear ones. The participants mostly youth, holding white flags, chanted slogans calling for the restoration of peace and an end to the violence that has gripped the southern belt of the province in recent months.
Tribal leaders, including Member National Assembly Maulana Syed Nasim Ali Shah, Malik Naemat Ali Khan, and former provincial minister Malik Shah Muhammad Khan and others addressed the gathering.
They criticized the administration and police for attempting to undermine the protest by issuing threats of potential sabotage.The speakers said the people of Bannu would not relent in their demand for peace and vowed to continue the struggle until their goals were achieved.
“We will fight for peace with our last drop of blood,” declared one leader.The speakers accused the authorities of targeting traders and sacking the cops who raised voices for justice.
The protesters decried the growing presence of armed groups in the Bannu district and questioned the failure of security forces to take action against them. The tribal leaders shed light on the plight of hundreds of missing persons from Bannu and said their families lived in constant anguish.
The rally’s participants declared that daily protest camps would be held, urging the government to meet their demands. They maintained that lasting peace could be achieved by disarming the armed group operating in Bannu and respecting the rights of the people.
“We are tired of burying our loved ones,” a speaker lamented.“We demand an end to the war and want the restoration of peace,” he added.The protesters expressed frustration over the deteriorating law and order and urged the government to take action or else the situation would spin out of control.