PESHAWAR – Tribesmen and students from various organisations on Saturday staged demonstrations here, endorsing the decision of a war on the United States to protest the US drone attack on a traditional jirga in the Data Khel area of North Waziristan. Students from different educational institutions staged demonstrations in front of Peshawar Press Club. They were followed by elders from North Waziristan. They also chanted slogans against the US and Pakistani authorities.
Tribal elders Malik Rehmat Ullah Dawar, Malik Gul Yousaf, Malik Abdul Ghaffar and Malik Gul Nasim and students’ leaders Muhammad Hasham Dawar from Agriculture University, Noor Islam Wazir from Islamia College, Rizwan Mehsud from Government College, Fida Dawar from Khyber Medical College and Hayat Ullah Mehsud from Peshawar University addressed various rallies. The speakers expressed resentment over the latest US drone attack on a jirga at Datta Khel which, according to them, killed innocent people, including leading tribal elders and personnel of Khasadar forces. The students’ leaders said tribesmen believed in peace and tolerance and had no concern with terrorism and militancy.
They demanded the government take up the issue with the US authorities and ensure halt of drone attacks in the tribal belt. The tribal elders, however, delivered more fiery speeches and vowed to take revenge from the US for its drone attacks. They said, “We are bound to avenge such aggression. Each and every tribesman is determined to teach a lesson to Americans as they did to Britain in the early 20th century.
The tribal elders also criticised President Asif Ali Zardari and Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan for “silence” over the US aggression against tribesmen. They asked Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to tell the US authorities that no such aggression would be tolerated in future. They also urged the armed forces to protect tribesmen otherwise they would be compelled to take steps for their security on their own.
