LAKKI MARWAT: A big peace rally was held in the Lakki Marwat city on Saturday following the three terror attacks on the Pakistan Army installations here on Thursday night.

The Olasi Pasoon Tehreek organised the rally to protest lawlessness and militancy on the soil of Pakhtuns.

A large number of people from different walks of life participated in the rally. A demonstration was also held at the Kargil Chowk.

The participants carried banners and black and white flags, raising slogans against lawlessness and in favour of peace and harmony.

Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement leader Manzoor Pashteen, ANP’s provincial vice-president Shahi Khan Sherani and district president Malik Ali Sarwar Khan, Johar Mohammad Khan and Dr Mohammad Iqbal of PTI, Mufti Ziaullah, Maulana Abdul Wakil and Fawad Khan of JUI-F, Mohammad Iqbal of Jamaat-i-Islami, Inamullah of Marwat and Betanni Qaumi Tehreek, social activists, student leaders and local body members also attended the rally.

The speakers condemned the fresh wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said the surge in terror incidents had scared local residents and badly impacted business activities in the southern district.

They said local residents would neither tolerate terrorism and lawlessness on their soil nor would they allow anyone to usurp their rights.

A speaker opposed the massive military offensive against terrorists and said such operations in other regions had added to the troubles and miseries of the people. “Instead of launching large-scale operations, the law enforcement agencies should focus on intelligence-based actions against militants,” he maintained.

He said local residents would offer sacrifices for the restoration of peace, but they won’t leave their houses in case the government decided to launch a large-scale operation against terrorists.

The speakers said the southern district was rich in natural resources and the local residents had the first right to use them.

They also asked the government to take notice of broken roads and the unavailability of basic amenities of life in the region.

They linked the fresh wave of violence on Pakhtuns’ soil to an international conspiracy and said Pakhtuns would protest in front of the palace-like houses of rulers if terror acts on their soil did not stop.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2023