Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL
Tribal elders and residents in Khyber on Saturday announced a sweeping protest campaign, including an indefinite blockade of the Pak-Afghan Highway, closure of private and public educational institutions, boycott of anti-polio vaccination drives and suspension of official duties by government employees, demanding immediate and effective measures to restore lasting peace in the region.
The decisions were taken during a large tribal jirga held at Takia in Landikotal following growing concerns over deteriorating security and the recent targeted killing of two local residents in the Sultankhel area of Zakhakhel.
The out rage sparked after the terrorists attack on Friday after an army official,who was on Eid leaves, and another local resident were shot dead in Khyber Sultankhel village in Landikotal that spread panic and fesr among the residents.
It was the seventh targeted killing attack in the past months claiming ten lives of local residents including security personnel, police,civil society members and others.
The gathering was attended by a large number of tribal elders, political activists, civil society representatives and residents from Nekikhel, Sultankhel and other tribes in Landikotal.
The jirga was convened amid growing public anger over recurring incidents of violence and target killings. Participants said the deteriorating law and order situation had pushed local communities to the brink and that patience among residents had run out.
Addressing the gathering, tribal elder Malik Abdullah Khan announced that armed local volunteers would be assigned responsibility for patrolling villages and protecting residents until lasting peace is restored.
Blocking the Pak-Afghan highway, he said the protest movement and road blockade would continue until the government and security institutions provide credible guarantees for complete and durable peace in Khyber.
Political Ittehad Landikotal president Murad Hussain Afridi read out the jirga’s decisions, stating that all government and private educational institutions in the affected areas would remain closed until peace is restored.
He said teqchers and othrr staff members of public and private educational institutions would not attend their duties untill practical steps were taken to ensure the safety of students, teachers and residents.
The jirga also announced a complete boycott of the anti-polio vaccination campaign, declaring that no vaccination drive would be allowed in the area until the authorities address the community’s security concerns.
In another major decision, government employees belonging to the affected tribal areas and serving in various departments, including health, education, agriculture, forestry and other civil institutions, were asked to boycott official duties until further notice as part of the protest movement.
The tribal gathering imposed a ban on motorcycle riding and driving from the Parangsam Check Post in Jamrid to Charwazgai check post in Landikotal. Elders warned that any person violating the restriction would be fined Rs50,000 and the motorcycle would be confiscated.
The jirga further decided that any individual or family refusing to participate in or support the peace movement would face a fine of Rs50,000. Elders also warned of civil disobedience measures against those tribesmen found violating collective decisions taken by the community.
The protesters maintained that the blockade of the Pak-Afghan Highway at Takia would continue indefinitely until the authorities demonstrate a firm commitment to ending insecurity and bringing those responsible for acts of violence and target killings to justice.
Speaking on the occasion, Murad Hussain Afridi expressed concern over what he described as a growing number of informers operating on behalf of both militant groups and security institutions. He urged residents that stop spying for the Taliban, saying the militants had brought suffering and instability to the region. He also advised people not to act as informers for security agencies, alleging that local communities continued to face insecurity despite years of security operations.
He said a number of individuals reportedly from Landikotal engaged in spying either for security forces or Taliban was against their own people were harming their tribe, country and Islam and urged residents to remain united in efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability.
Other tribal elders, including Shakir Afridi and Malik Ibrar, said the people of Khyber could no longer remain silent in the face of persistent violence and insecurity. They announced that another jirga would soon be convened to decide the next phase of the protest movement and formulate a future strategy.
The elders reiterated that the protest campaign, road blockade and other measures would remain in place until concrete and effective steps were taken to ensure lasting peace in Sultankhel, Zakhakhel and other tribal areas of Khyber district.
