Mian Iftikhar concerned at target killing incidents

PESHAWAR: Terming the state and media approach towards Pashtuns discriminatory, Awami National Party (ANP) central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Sunday said the target killing incidents in the country had reached a dangerous level.

In a statement, he condemned the murder of Pashtun political worker and academician Arman Luni in Loralai district in Balochistan, he said that peaceful protest for one’s demand was every citizen’s right.

He said use of force against peaceful protesters has assumed a new shape of terrorism. He said that Naqeebullah Mehsud, Tahir Dawar, Khaisor and Sahiwal incidents and now Arman Luni’s killing had given rise to doubts. “Such incidents raise questions over the writ of the government,” the ANP leader said.

He said media had been covering events in other parts of the country, but did not carry the stories about the Khaisor incident and Arman Luni’s murder. He said such discrimination was creating a sense of deprivation among the Pashtuns.

The ANP leader demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident and exemplary punishment for the culprits to ensure safety of the people staging protest for their rights in future. He said the government was responsible to protect the lives of the people, but it had failed to do so. He said the trend of killing peaceful citizens was putting the country’s security at stake. He urged the government to refrain from pushing the situation to the point of no return.