Sit-in against police continues in Upper South Waziristan

TANK: The elders and youths belonging to the Jalalkhel subtribe of the Mahsud tribe continued the protest-in against the alleged police highhandedness for the third consecutive day Chagmalai area in Sarwakai tehsil in Upper South Waziristan tribal district on Monday.

The protesters had initially set a 24-hour deadline for the government to meet their demands but those could not be met despite passage of the ultimatum.The protesters are demanding the dismissal of District Police Officer (DPO) Malik Habib Khan, Station House Officer (SHO) Ashiq Illahi of Sarwakai Police Station and their colleagues and the quashing of what they said were unlawful cases registered against them.

Also, a jirga was held at Town Hall in Tank where local government representatives and residents from the Mahsud and Burki tribes announced full support for the ongoing protest. The elders also demanded the dismissal of the DPO and SHO.

Meanwhile, Member Provincial Assembly Asif Khan Mahsud of South Waziristan and other prominent figures, including Malik Hassan Khel, Haji Allah Khan, Haji Painda Khan, Haji Behram Khan, Malik Zafar Khan, Malik Habibullah, Malik Ahmad Khan, former National Assembly candidate Arif Zaman Burki, Sarwakai Tehsil Council Chairman Shah Faisal Ghazi and other tribal leaders visited the protest sit-in in Chagmalai where hundreds of local residents have gathered.

Speaking on the occasion, the elders alleged that police were using brute force against law-abiding residents in Upper South Waziristan district.They also said that out of 3,000 police personnel in Upper South Waziristan, only around 300 or 400 were actively on duty, while the remaining 2,500 pay a monthly bribe of Rs15,000 each to be relieved from duty, allowing them to pursue other businesses in cities like Karachi, Lahore and others.

The speakers alleged that SHO Ashiq Illahi, who was a regular levy officer, was involved in severely injuring a poor shepherd with a knife in Chagmalai. They said that the victim was currently under treatment in a hospital.

They also accused SHO of violating the sanctity of the home by forcibly entering a house. Given these grievances, the protesters had given the government 24 hours to address their demands, warning of escalated action if the demands of the Jalalkhel tribe were not accepted.

The protesters’ demands included the dismissal of SHO Ashiq Illahi and his associates over the assault on a poor tribal member, the appointment of a new SHO, the withdrawal of unlawful FIRs, and a written notification of all these actions.They also sought compensation for the injured tribal member’s medical treatment.