–Yousafzai says ‘specific segment’ wants armed forces to vacate tribal areas
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai on Wednesday said that the government was committed to addressing the grievances of the residents of tribal areas who suffered immensely during the war against terrorism, but it won’t allow anyone to take the law into their own hands and undo security forces’ gains against terrorism.
Addressing a press conference regarding Sunday’s deadly clash between the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) workers and army personnel near a military checkpost in North Waziristan tribal district, Yousafzai said a “specific segment” desired that the armed forces vacate the tribal areas but that the troops are needed in the area to maintain peace that can support the government’s rehabilitation efforts.
“I want to ask, if [some] local people have come out to protest, what purpose is PTM serving there? Or if some people have been arrested on suspicion of attacking the armed forces […] why are they [PTM] demanding their release?” the minister questioned.
In a reference to MNAs Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar, who the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said were behind the attack on the checkpost, Yousafzai said no member of the parliament has the right to show up at a check post “with a gun”.
At least three people were killed and 15 ─ including five soldiers ─ were injured in an exchange of fire in North Waziristan’s Boyya area, when the Kharqamar checkpoint was allegedly attacked during a protest on Sunday, in which PTM members were also participating.
According to an ISPR statement, MNAs Dawar and Wazir were leading the group.
“A group led by Mohsin Javed [Dawar] and Ali Wazir assaulted Kharqamar check post, Boyya, North Waziristan tribal district this morning. They wanted to exert pressure for release of suspected terrorists’ facilitator arrested the other day,” added the statement, without specifying who the suspect was.
“Troops at the checkpost exercised maximum restraint in the face of provocation and direct firing on the post. Due to firing of the group, five Army soldiers got injured. In exchange of fire, three individuals who attacked the post lost their lives and 10 got injured,” it said.
The statement also disclosed that Wazir along with eight other individuals had been arrested while Mohsin Javed [Dawar] was “at large”.
Dawar, while speaking to VOA Deewa, had denied that the group opened fire and accused the army of initiating violence.
