ANP, QWP demand probe into truckers killing during protest in Karachi

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) on Thursday condemned the recent killing of truck drivers during a protest in Karachi and demanded a high-level probe into the incident.

Awami National Party (ANP) submitted a resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to condemn the killing of the Pashtun truck drivers in Karachi. The party’s provincial general secretary, Sardar Hussain Babak, submitted the resolution, which demanded action against the Rangers personnel involved in the killing of the drivers. He demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident. The resolution said that the genocide of Pashtuns was continuing in the country and creating a sense of alienation among the Pashtun people.

The ANP leader said that the continued target killing of Pashtuns and demanding ransom from them would lead to law and order situation.

He also criticised the government’s silence over the injustices being committed against the Pashtuns across the country.

The ANP leader demanded an immediate end to the unjust treatment of Pashtuns, insisting it has become unbearable. He demanded the “Shaheed compensation package” given to martyrs for the families of the victims.

Meanwhile, QWP head Aftab Sherpao condemned the firing incident in which the police said personnel of the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and Rangers opened fire to disperse the protesting truck drivers on the Super Highway near Karachi.

In a statement, he demanded a high-powered probe into the incident involving the killing of four drivers belonging to North Waziristan to bring the perpetrators to justice. He called upon the government to compensate the families of the slain truckers. Aftab Sherpao said it was unfortunate that direct fire was opened on the protesters. He maintained the police should have been called in as the cops were better trained to handle such situations. He added that staging protest was one’s constitutional right and the authorities should have redressed the grievances of the protesting drivers instead of using force as it was not the solution of the issue as it aggravated the situation. “It is shocking and unfortunate that the protesters were fired upon by the FWO personnel,” he pointed out.