Khyber Jirga urges govt to take notice of target-killings

LANDIKOTAL: Political and social circles have demanded the government to take notice of the target-killings in Khyber district where several people were shot dead in recent weeks in Jamrud and Bara subdivisions.

The demand was made at a Jirga held here. Those who spoke on the occasion included Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI)’s former deputy chief for Fata and Khyber Siyasi Ittehad president Mufti Muhammad Ejaz, Jamaat-e-Islami district amir Murad Hussain Afridi, Awami National Party leader Saida Jan Afridi, Qaumi Watan Party local chapter president Ali Rahman Shalmani, journalists Qazi Fazlullah and Khalil Afridi, Landikotal Falahi Tanzeem chief Akhtar Ali Shinwari, Paramedical Association President Mujeeeb Afridi and others.

The speakers said that despite the merger of tribal districts into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, they were not given the facilities required. They said the parliamentarians also failed to raise voice for their constitutional rights on the parliament floor.

The speakers said the powers given to Frontier Corps (FC) should be withdrawn as tribal areas have been merged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all the government departments including Customs were functional in all districts.

JI leader Murad Hussain and JUI Mufti Muhammad Ejaz condemned the silence of the government over the growing target-killing incidents in Khyber district and said the authorities have failed to arrest the killers.

Murad Hussain said several people have been targeted and killed incidents in Bara and Jamrud tehsils in the past few weeks. He also demanded the government allow non-Customs paid vehicles to ply the district as is the case in Malakand division and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Mufti Ejaz said the government officials were not taking notice of the increasing target-killings in tribal districts. He said that private jobs and businesses had ended at Torkham border.“Elected representatives and government officials repeatedly pledged to construct the long-awaited district press club in Landikotal, but no practical action could be taken so far,” he said.

The ANP leader said when they spoke for rights and demanded peace, they were threatened. He said that he was still receiving threatening phone calls from unknown people because he spoke for people rights.He threatened to give a call for a sit-in at Torkham border if their grievances were not addressed in a week. MPA Shafiq Sher Afridi also spoke on the occasion.