Shalobar jirga opposes police night raids in Bara

BARA: A grand jirga of the Shalobar tribe at Qambarabad on Thursday opposed the police night raids being carried out on the pretext of anti-narcotics operations, saying these were creating difficulties for the local population.

The jirga decided to form a committee comprising elected representatives, the Shalobar Qaumi Council, elders and other stakeholders to take up the concerns with higher authorities.The jirga was attended by Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) Chairman Abdul Ghani Afridi, Shalobar Qaumi Council Chairman Lal Afridi, Malik Zafar Afridi, Nisar Afridi, Asghar Afridi, Sadeeq Chiragh, tribal elders and union council representatives.

The speakers demanded that police operations should be restricted to the main roads to reduce fear among women and children. They also called for impartial investigations into the conduct of police officials as well as the deployment of trained local personnel.

Sohail Afridi said public complaints would be taken up seriously and no officer would be allowed to overstep authority.He added that he would meet the District Police Officer (DPO) of Khyber to present the jirga’s demands.

“We want to bring peace and launch development work in militancy-hit areas. We do not want fear and illegal operations in the name of narcotics by police in the area,” he said.Member Provincial Assembly and DDAC Chairman Abdul Ghani Afridi said protecting citizens’ rights was the responsibility of elected representatives.

He added that while anti-narcotics operations, particularly against drugs like ice and heroin, would be supported, unjustified raids would not be tolerated.The MPA said nighttime police operations were affecting people’s rights and could not be accepted under any circumstances.

“We will support operations and raids against ice and heroin, but the blockade of streets at night is not acceptable,” he added.The elected representatives and other stakeholders asked the KP Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed to transfer the DPO and the Bara Circle DSP forthwith, warning that otherwise they would block the Pak-Afghan Highway for traffic.