Wana protests

The people of Pakistan have a basic right – the right to security, safety of life and livelihood. And the people of Pakistan include the people of Waziristan, south or north. For the past five days, in bitterly cold weather, the people of Wana in South Waziristan have been staging a sit-down against the lack of security in their area. The sit-down follows previous protests across the area over the same matter. The latest onslaught of unrest in Wana stems from an attack on a police station by militants on December 21 last year. Following this, with the militants making away with the heavy firearms and other equipment, the security forces staged an operation against the militants in which 11 militants, including one commander, were killed. But this has not been the only act of militancy in the area. There have also been militant attacks in Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismael Khan and other locations. According to media reports, 973 people were killed in 2022 alone as a result of militancy and its consequences.

The protesters at Wana have demanded action against the Taliban, questioning the repeated failures of the state to eliminate violence in Waziristan and surrounding areas. An immediate restoration of police stations is also one of the demands. These are all genuine demands: which citizen does not wish to be able to live a life of safety, liberty, and the ability to earn a livelihood? The protesters have a 10-point agenda to resolve their legitimate issues and any reluctance by the authorities to discuss the agenda may result in even more protests. The Taliban appear to be the main culprits in that region and they are now even more emboldened after the Afghan Taliban’s victory in Kabul in 2021. The government direly needs a new policy to tackle terrorism and crimes in that region. After repeated deals with the Taliban and other militant groups negotiated without the approval of parliament, now there is no justification for any more pacification with the so-called ‘good Taliban’.

The people of Waziristan and some other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were led to believe that after the removal of the Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of Kabul there would be lasting peace in the region. The strategy that successive governments have been following both in Afghanistan and Pakistan needs a radical transformation as people have suffered for over 40 years in both countries, especially in the bordering areas. Both civilian and military leaders must work together rather than making tall claims about ‘geostrategic achievements’. If this is not done soon, we fear a return to the days before 2009. The people of Waziristan already know what it is like to live under the constant fear of the sound of gunfire in the distance, of the dread of death and the fear of violence. They should not have to resort to protests to remind the government and state that they are indeed citizens of this country who need to be kept safe on their own land.