Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], July 19: Thousands of people across Mohmand, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan took to the streets on July 18 in large-scale peace rallies, rejecting any fresh military operations and warning against further displacement of local communities, Dawn News reported.
In Mohmand district’s Mian Mandi Bazaar (Halimzai tehsil), a massive rally brought together tribal elders, political leaders, and civil society members under one voice. Leaders from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) joined hands to declare that the state had failed to deliver peace in the tribal belt, Dawn News reported.
“We pay taxes and abide by the law. All we ask for is peace in our homeland,” said local JI leader Firdous Safi. The killing of Maulana Khan Zeb, a respected voice for tribal rights and peace, was widely condemned.
In North Waziristan, the Utmanzai Jirga Aman Pasoon held a demonstration in Miramshah, reiterating their opposition to any new military campaign. Spokesperson Mufti Baitullah stated that past operations like Zarb-i-Azb had not resolved the region’s issues. “We won’t allow another military operation,” he said. The jirga demanded the release of elder Malik Akbar Khan, imprisoned for eight months, calling it essential for rebuilding trust with the government, Dawn News noted.
Baitullah also announced the next protest would be held in Dattakhel, where residents have endured an 11-day curfew, severely restricting movement and livelihoods.
Meanwhile, in Lower South Waziristan, an eight-day sit-in at Wana Bypass Chowk ended after successful negotiations between protest leaders and government officials. According to Dawn News, the district administration agreed to reopen the Angoor Adda border crossing, address law and order concerns, and affirm tribal ownership of local mineral resources.
South Waziristan Chamber of Commerce president Saifur Rehman Wazir said the prolonged closure of Angoor Adda had devastated trade. “Markets have collapsed, and traders suffered losses worth billions,” he stated.
As Dawn News highlighted, these peaceful yet defiant demonstrations underscore widespread frustration and demand for peace, rights, and dignity across the tribal districts.
(ANI)
