Rally demands lasting peace in Swat

MINGORA: Local leaders of almost all political parties and thousands of people on Sunday staged a rally to demand a lasting peace and praise the police for their best performance in maintaining law and order in Swat.

Holding posters and placards inscribed with slogans “Mong pa khapala Khawra amn ghawaro or we want peace on our land”, police zindabad” and “terrorism not acceptable”, the speakers said that it was the prime responsibility of state and government to provide protection to their citizens and property.

Awami National Party leader and ex-minister Ayub Khan Asharay, lawmaker Dr Amjad Ali Khan, ex-nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imranullah, Izharullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami and others urged the government to take practical steps for the restoration of lasting peace and ensure maintenance of law and order in Swat.

“The people would come to the streets if the government did not take measures for bringing peace and normalcy,” the ex-minister said, adding that the government would be held responsible if any untoward incident occurred. He said that people of Swat had rendered matchless sacrifices for the restoration of peace and now it was the responsibility of state and government to consolidate gains and establish state writ in the region. “We will not accept return of terrorism and militancy and would resist it tooth and nail,” a speaker vowed.