Massive protest rally in South Waziristan against surging militancy

• Protestors demand authorities improve deteriorating law and order.
• Wana Ulasi Pasoon organised the protest rally.
• PPP, ANP, PKMAP, PTM workers participated in it.

WANA: Residents of South Waziristan staged a big protest rally against the deteriorating state of law and order in the tribal district recently which was organised by Wana Ulasi Pasoon at Rustam Bazaar in Wana.

Workers of multiple political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), National Democratic Movement (NDM), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) participated in the protest. 

Civil society organisations, lawyers, traders and the general public also joined the rally to show their support.

The rally participants, carrying banners and placards, condemned rising acts of subversion and demanded the government play its role in maintaining law and order in the province, particularly in the merged tribal districts.

The protestors chanted slogans against the spike in militancy, asking the authorities to take action to improve the deteriorating law and order in South Waziristan.

The speakers said the state was responsible for protecting its citizens. They added that poor law and order and rising militancy created a sense of insecurity among the locals.

Wana Ulasi Pasoon leaders urged the government to take lawful action against wanted persons. The protesters demanded that the government set up more checkpoints in the troubled spots and ensure the patrolling of police to check lawlessness.

They said that authorities should take action against those violating the law and curb crimes such as drug peddling, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and extortion.

11 terrorists killed 

On Thursday, the security forces killed 11 terrorists in an operation in the South Waziristan district's Wana area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

In a statement, the military's media wing said while conducting the intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the general area, the security forces successfully "foiled a high-profile terrorist activity".

Local terrorist commander Hafiz Ullah and two suicide bombers were among the gunned-down militants, the military's media wing said, noting that a huge quantity of weapons and ammunition were also recovered in the IBO.

"The killed terrorists remained actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and target killing of police in South Waziristan district," the ISPR mentioned.

Spike in terrorist activities 

Terrorism has recently surged in Pakistan after the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off a ceasefire with Islamabad in November last year and heightened militant activities across the country.

According to reports, the TTP regrouped in Afghanistan after the Taliban's takeover, with Pakistan repeatedly asking the interim government in the neighbouring country to ensure that its soil isn't used for terrorism. But the Taliban-led government has been unable to live up to the expectations.

The activities of militants have been mainly focused in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the former accounting for 31% of the attacks during the last year and the latter 67%, according to statistics provided by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.