Elders condemn killing of 8 Pakistanis in Afghanistan

WANA: Condemning the alleged killing of eight tribespeople from North Waziristan in Afghanistan by the Afghan National Army, the elders of South Waziristan on Tuesday asked the United Nations, International Human Rights Commission and Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul to probe the tragic incident and provide justice to the bereaved families.

Speaking at a press conference in Wana, the elders of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe including Malik Riaz Muhammad Wazir, Malik Nizamuddin Wazir and former candidate for the National Assembly Hafizul Amin Wazir, appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan, foreign and interior ministers and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take notice of the killing of Pakistani citizens by the Afghan security forces and help them get justice.

The elders threatened that they would then go to Afghanistan to seek justice for the affected families if the Pakistan government did not take notice of the incident.

“The Afghan army personnel dragged the eight Pakistani citizens out of their homes and severely tortured them before killing them in Barmal area of Paktika province in Afghanistan,” the elders alleged.

Saying that the tragic incident had shocked the people of Waziristan, the elders warned that such a barbaric act against the innocent tribespeople of Waziristan would not be tolerated and steps would be taken for bringing the persons involved in the heinous crime to justice.

They demanded an international investigation to apprehend and punish the culprits and provide justice to the affected families.

According to elders, four of the eight slain Pakistanis were brothers and belonged to Shewa area of North Waziristan district. They had gone to Afghanistan to earn livelihood for their families.