Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL
A protest against the alleged abduction/missing of prominent trader and tribal elder Muhammad Zareef Shinwari, alias Haji Landay, entered its fourth consecutive day in Landikotal on Monday, with protesters blocking the Pak-Afghan highway to press for his immediate and safe recovery.
The protest set-in was launched after Zareef Shinwari was allegedly picked up by unidentified armed men in Landikotal. His disappearance has triggered concern among traders, tribal elders, political parties and civil society members.
On the fourth day, protesters kept blocked the Pak-Afghan highway at Charwazgai Chowk in Landikotal, suspending traffic between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Traders and protesters said the road would remain closed until the missing elder was safely recovered.
A FIR had also been registered against unidentified persons at Landikotal police station in connection with the alleged abduction.
Addressing the protest, political and tribal leaders demanded that the authorities explain how a prominent trader and tribal elder could allegedly be abducted in broad daylight in a sensitive border area where police and other law-enforcement agencies are deployed.
Jamaat-e-Islami senior leader Muqtadar Afridi also addressed the set-in and expressed concern over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Landikotal. He questioned the repeated occurrence of kidnapping and abducting incidents and demanded effective action against those responsible.
Afridi alleged that whenever Adnan is posted as SHO at Landikotal police station, cases of kidnapping for ransom emerge in the area. He called for an impartial investigation into the alleged abduction and urged the authorities to determine who was behind the incident. Muqtadar Afridi demanded of the Inspector Genral of Police (IGP)Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Capital City Police Officer(CCPO) Peshawar to initiate iquiry and transfer Adnan Afridi replace him whlith an honest and dedicated officer to maintain peace hand harmony in the area.
The protesters said the recovery of an abducted citizen was the responsibility of the state and demanded immediate action to trace Zareef Shinwari and arrest those involved.
The continued closure of the highway has disrupted traffic and between Peshawar and Torkham, causing difficulties for transporters, passengers and other road users.
The protesters warned that the demonstration would continue until the alleged abductee was recovered safely and said its scope could be expanded if the authorities failed to meet their demands.
Meanwhile, two rounds of talks were held between the protesters and local administration but to no avail. Assistant commissioner Landikotal Inamullah Khan Wazir,SHO Adnan and other officials met with protesters to convince them to end their strike and reopen the highway but failed.
Long queues of trucks and passengers coaches were seen on the road sides waiting for reopening of the road. Passengers vans and small vehicles also seen taking other routes inside the Zargaran villages to keep their journey continue.
