Residents of Bagan seek justice

PESHAWAR: The residents of the Lower Kurram staged a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday against what they said were atrocities committed by terrorists in Bagan Bazaar and nearby villages in the past and sought justice.

Khawaja Naheed, Imran Muqbil, Dr. Bilal, Deen Gul, Malik Attaullah Kosar Alam, MalikSamiullah, and others led the protest. The protesters were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans and demands.

The speakers said on November 22, last year a large number of individuals entered Bagan Bazaar from the Alizai side. They said the attackers burned down shops in Bagan Bazaar and over homes in the nearby villages, including Talokanj and Badshah Kot, adding precious lives were lost in the violence.

The protesters alleged that even the attackers recorded videos while burning properties but the government remained silent and no action was taken against the perpetrators of violence and instead a “one-sided” operation was being conducted in Bagan.

They reiterated the desire for peace in Kurram and stated that the people of Bagan had condemned every unpleasant incident.The speakers recalled that in 2007 weapons were confiscated from Bagan, and now another search-and-clearance operation had been conducted there. They said local elders and the public fully cooperated during the operation.