A sit-in underway in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan Agency since Sunday ended on Friday after the authorities managed to convince the 3,000-strong assembly that security situation would be improved in coming days.
The gathering started on Sunday to protest rising incidents of violence in the war-affected tribal region. Specifically, the protesters condemned to killing of three prominent individuals who were active against extremists and also raised concerns about the possible return of militants who had distributed pamphlets in the area warning parents against sending girls to schools.
They demanded that the killers of the three men should be brought to justice.
Soon after the beginning of the sit-in in Mir Ali, the protest against rise in incidents of violence caught on and an assembly was reported from South Waziristan Agency as well.
“The protest ended on Thursday after authorities assured us of more security measures in the area,” Noor Islam, the president of the Youth of Waziristan, the organiser of the Mir Ali rally, told the media.
Islam said at least eight tribesmen had been killed in a series of murders this month, enraging locals who say authorities have not done enough to ensure their security. Not a single suspect has so far been arrested, he said.
Mohammad Ayaz – a senior government official in North Waziristan – confirmed that tribesmen ended the protest after receiving written assurance that officials would increase patrols in the area.
According to the agreement, security forces would launch joint-patrols with tribal militias along with the deployment of more military troops and police officers in the area.
Officials have also vowed to expedite compensation payments to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed in recent military operations.
North Waziristan was once a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Haqqani network where the extremist groups operated with impunity and allegedly murdered hundreds of tribal elders.
The army launched an operation in mid-2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the area and end the near decade-long insurgency that has cost Pakistan thousands of lives.
Security has increased dramatically across the country in the operation’s wake.
Published in Daily Times, May 19th 2018.
