Kukikhels tribesmen in Pakhtunkhwa to observe August 14 as ‘Black Day’

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA [Pakistan]: The Kukikhel tribesmen in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who were uprooted from their protest camp by the police, announced to observe August 14 — Pakistan’s independence day — as a ‘Black Day’ to press the authorities for accepting their demands, Dawn reported.

The matter pertains to the uprooting of the protest camp at the historic Bab-i-Khyber in Jamrud after the imposition of Section 144 by the administration over the “deteriorating law and order” in the district.

Reacting sharply to the midnight action, Kukikhel elders threatened to register an FIR against the police officials, Dawn reported. Addressing the protesters at Bab-i-Khyber on Tuesday, Kukikhel elder Malak Naseer Ahmad announced that, “Black flags would be hoisted atop all their houses and all types of vehicles on August 14 as the relevant authorities failed to address the issues of delay in the return of the remaining displaced families, excessive power outages and resolution of their land dispute with Peshawar Development Authority”.

He, however, added three more demands of restoration of lasting peace in Khyber, release or recovery of all the missing persons and vacating of all the private properties occupied by security forces in different parts of Tirah, Dawn reported.

The Kukikhel elder also rejected the 'jirga' of tribal elders with the chief of the army staff in Peshawar held on Monday. He alleged that the ‘official jirga’ failed to raise the issues of law and order in newly-merged districts, missing persons, return of displaced persons and occupation of private properties by security forces with the army chief. He said that their protest would continue till acceptance of all their ‘legitimate’ demands.

It is pertinent to mention here that police had registered an FIR against Malak Naseer Ahmad for passing derogatory remarks in his speech during a peace rally in Tirah on July 25. He later secured bail before arrest (BBA) from a local court and has since been leading the Kukikhel protest in Jamrud, according to Dawn.

Meanwhile, Bara Siyasi Ittehad (BSI) announced on Tuesday to hold another peace rally in Bara on August 12. Addressing a news conference at Landi Kotal Press Club, BSI president Shah Faisal Afridi said, “The situation was deteriorating with every passing day as incidents of targeted killing, extortion and attacks on security check posts had become a routine matter”. He said that invitations for the August 12 rally had also been sent to the top leadership of major political parties to make it a grand show in support of peace, Dawn reported.