SWAT: Residents of Matta and Khwazakhela tehsils on Sunday declared that they would not plead with the state for peace; instead, they would enforce it themselves if it failed to do so.

They expressed the resolve during a large gathering organised by Swat Olasi Pasoon at Khwazakhela Chowk in Matta tehsil, in response to recent militant attacks on the police.

The participants carried white flags and posters bearing slogans for peace.

Notable speakers at the event included MNA Dr Amjad, Mukhtiyar Yousafzai, Ayub Asharey, Izharullah, Adalat Khan, Syed Izharullah and Badar Sher Afghan.

The speakers questioned how the Taliban or other militants could enter Swat and openly attack the police.

Stages peace rally in Khwazakhela

“There is a proper cantonment with security forces deployed everywhere, yet militants manage to enter Swat and carry out their anti-state activities. This situation raises serious questions about the role of the security forces,” they remarked.

They emphasised that the people of Swat, particularly those in Matta, were among the worst-affected by the militancy in the past, “suffering at the hands of both militants and the security forces”.

“Our innocent people were killed, our properties destroyed; we were displaced and disgraced during curfews and search operations, and mistreated at checkposts,” the protesters deplored, insisting that the people of Swat now understood that the militancy and Talibanisation were “mere theatrics by the state”.

The speakers expressed astonishment that despite dozens of military operations, terrorism had not been eradicated.

“The border with Afghanistan is fenced, and security forces are present everywhere, yet they fail to stop terrorists. This either indicates incompetence or suggests that the forces support militants,” the speakers asserted.

They condemned the recent attacks on the police and the killing of a constable during a militant attack on a police checkpost in Sambat area.

They said they stood with the police, and warned that if anyone attempted to attack them again, the people would come out in force and “take action”.

The protesters vowed that they would never tolerate any insurgency in Swat, and announced that they would soon convene a jirga, inviting people from all walks of life to decide on a decisive plan of action.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2024