Protest staged against police deployment in Khyber district

BARA/JAMRUD: The residents and elders on Wednesday staged protest for the second day against the deployment of police and ‘Patwar’ system in Khyber tribal district.

The people in Jamrud staged protest on the second consecutive day carrying placards and banners criticising the government for its plans to deploy police and introduce the ‘Patwar’ system in Khyber.

Speaking on the occasion, Malik Salahuddin said that the tribespeople would not allow the deployment of police and introduction of the ‘Patwar’ system in Khyber tribal district. He said the tribal districts were comparatively peaceful and witnessed less crimes compared to the settled districts. He said the tribes people settled their disputes through the jirga system.

Malik Israrullah said that the government had committed injustice with the tribal people by merging the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The tribesmen staged protest against the presence of personnel of the Peshawar Police in Khyber tribal district and hurled stones at their vehicles on Tuesday.

The Peshawar Police officers, for the first time after Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had entered Khyber district to open an office at Jamrud. Meanwhile, the elders of the Bara subdivision also asked the government to not impose police system on tribal people forcibly.

Speaking at a press conference in Bara Press Club, Shalobar tribe elders, including Bazaar Gul Afridi, Khalil Afridi, Raza Gul, Gul Sher, Said Azam and others. The speakers said that the rulers had not taken the people into confidence about the decision.

“The government had imposed interim governance regulation (IGR) law on the tribal belt with same law of Frontier crimes regulation (FCR),” said Bazaar Gul Afridi, adding, the IGR law imposed is completely conspiracy against the people.

Our correspondent from Kalaya adds: A jirga of all tribes belonging to Orakzai tribal district have vowed to oppose police reforms till the fulfillment of promises made before passage of the merger act.

JUI-F leader Haji Qasim Gul, Malik Izat Gul, Malik Said Habib and other addressed the jirga at Kalaya, the headquarters of the district.

The speakers said that all 18 Orakzai tribes are united with one voice against the proposed police reforms and would try to prevent police official’s visit to the district in this regard by protests.