Tribesmen in Bara protest killing of student in custody

BARA: Thousands of people staged a protest demonstration here on Tuesday against the killing of a student, who died in police custody at the West Cantonment Police Station in Peshawar two days ago.

A large number of protesters, including politicians, members of the Qaumi Councils, social activists, Anjuman-e-Tajiran Bara, shopkeepers and others attended the protest at Khyber Chowk at Bara Bazaar in Khyber district. They demanded the government to provide justice to the family of Shahzeb Afridi and punish the erring cops. The protesters had blocked the main Pak-Afghan highway for four hours.

The protesters said the government was treating the tribal people unfairly. They alleged that many tribal people were killed in fake encounters but the government did not arrest the killers of the innocent people. The speakers alleged that one Irfanullah Afridi was killed in a fake encounter last year in Mattani area in Peshawar.

Meanwhile, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahsan Abbas visited Khyber district and met the members of the Bara Siyasi Ittehad. Member National Assembly Iqbal Afridi, Member Provincial Assembly Shafiq Afridi, HBK group of director Maroof Afridi, District Police Officer Khyber Waseem Riaz, SHO Akbar Afridi, Bara Siyasi Ittehad president Shah Faisal Afridi, Awami National Party leader Imran Afridi, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president for Khyber Asghar Khan Afridi and others were present on the occasion.

Bara Siyasi Ittehad president Shah Faisal Afridi presented the demands of the local people to the visiting official. The CCPO told the members of the Bara Siyasi Ittehad that no effort would be spared to provide justice to the bereaved family.