North Waziristan traders stage protest

MIRANSHAH: The traders belonging to the North Waziristan tribal district on Monday blocked the Bannu-Miranshah road as a mark of protest to press the government to compensate them for the losses suffered during the military operations in the region. Speaking on the occasion, a local businessman Malik Noor Gul said that the shopkeepers had sustained losses running into millions of rupees. He said the government had promised to compensate the business community of Miranshah for the losses caused to them during the military operations in North Waziristan. The protesters said they would continue the peaceful protest till the acceptance of their demands. A protester, Mohammad Rehman said eight months had passed since government officials had pledged to compensate the traders and shopkeepers. Later, the protesters held talks with the officials of the administration and agreed to disperse peacefully and re-open the road to traffic.