Peshawar, January 18: A large number of students hailing from FATA staged a protest demonstration here on Thursday in front of Peshawar Press Club against the killing of eighteen innocent people in tehsil Bara of Khyber Agency, FRC Field Reporter learnt.
According to details FATA students, who were later joined by a number of tribesmen from Khyber Agency, during the protest chanted slogans against the ANP led provincial government, security forces and the brutal action of KPK police taken on Wednesday midnight.
The police took into their custody forcefully all the dead bodies from the protestors on Wednesday midnight, however later on they returned them to their relatives upon their protest.
Traffic flow on the main road of Peshawar ‘Sher Shah Suri’ remained suspended throughout the protest.
To disperse the protestors Police fired tear gas and started aerial firing besides baton-charge which resulted injuries to at least five people.
In retaliation the protestors hurled stones and bottles on the police force while Police arrested more than thirty students.
During the clash between police and student one local journalist, identified as Siddique, also received injuries.
As a result of police baton-charge protesters dispersed from the Peshawar Press Club, and preferred to gather in front of Peshawar High Court and staged a sit-in there.
While addressing the protestors Fata lawyers forum President Ijaz Mohmand advocate said that tribal people have lost everything in the ongoing war on terror and despite their valuable and unforgettable sacrifices the tribal people has been treated brutally.
“The FATA youth has decided to stop all types of atrocities in the tribal belt and have started their struggle for their freedom, and we appreciate it and support them morally and financially”, said Mr. Mohmand.
He further said that if their demands were not met they will start long term agitation.
“We demand the complete withdrawal of security forces from the area as they are unable to control the law and order situation in the Tribal belt”, he added further.
During the protest police in collaboration with security forces sealed all the routes leading to Khyber Agency from Peshawar.
In another incident in Nowshehra, internally displaced people from Bajaur, Khyber and Mohmand in Jalozai camp held a protest demonstration against the camp administration for not providing food and other facilities to them and held a protest at the distribution points.
They were of the view, when contacted by FRC field reporter, that they have left their homes and businesses due to militancy in their areas and are living as IDPs in the camp for the last few years but the government had not provided the basic facilities of life. “Now we have decided neither to get the food packages nor to send our children to schools”.
