Recovery of teacher, other demands: Bannu elders to hold strike on 19th

BANNU: The elders of Bannu have announced a complete shutdown strike and the closure of all major roads on May 19 to press the government to accept their demands, including the recovery of an abducted schoolteacher.

A protest jirga, chaired by Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, was held at the Bannu Press Club, where tribal elders discussed the ongoing protest movement for the recovery of the kidnapped schoolteacher, Farman Ali Shah. Following consultations, former senator Baz Muhammad Khan, tribal leader Malik Yousafullah Khan, and advocate Malik Muhammad Ayub Khan briefed the media about the decisions.

The speakers said that the people of Bannu were facing unfortunate circumstances. They emphasized that they did not want unrest or harm to the region or its people.They added that the dharnas (sit-ins) for the teacher’s recovery, led by the Noorad tribe, had remained peaceful, sparing the rest of Bannu from disruption and causing no damage to roads or government property. However, they lamented that the government had shown no intention of relieving their suffering.

The elders said they had now issued a seven-day deadline to the authorities for the safe recovery of the abducted teacher. Failing that, on May 19, the people would take to the streets and completely block the main Bannu-Dera, Bannu-Kohat, and Bannu-Miranshah roads to all traffic.