Pakistan: People hold demonstrations in KP against Taliban presence in region
Aug 11, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], August 11 : Amid worsening law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan due to presence of the Taliban, local residents have been holding protests, demanding peace and protection, said Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday expressing his apprehensions at the success of talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the National Assembly session.
The demonstrations have created political instability in the province, the minister said, adding that anti-Taliban feelings have been growing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) against the Taliban presence in their area, Dawn reported.
In a further statement, a Member of National Assembly from Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Mohsin Dawar drew the attention of the house towards the rise in terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) stating that it has happened after arrival of Taliban from Afghanistan.
"A committee comprising political elders had been constituted to visit the Pakistan-Afghanistan entry point at Ghulam Khan area in North Waziristan to persuade the protesters to open the trade route which they had closed in protest against killings of tribals," Dawar added.
Speaking on the deteriorating situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dawar said the people of North Waziristan had been protesting for the past 26 days, demanding peace and protection.
The lawmaker claimed terrorism had spread across KP and warned it would soon grip the whole country if not taken into strict consideration.
Dawar said the Taliban were telling the local people that their leadership had directed them to return to the area in the wake of the ongoing talks between Pakistani authorities and the TTP.
Furthermore, a PTI dissident Noor Alam Khan also lambasted the PTI leadership over the campaign and praised the army for its services to the country in the wake of the war against terrorism.
Without naming PTI's Shahbaz Gill, Khan said those who did not like Pakistan and its army, should leave the country, reported Dawn.
Meanwhile, PTI MNA from Jacobabad, Mohammadmian Soomr who had served as the privatisation minister during the previous PTI government got de-seated in the National Assembly session.
He had not submitted his resignation with his other party colleagues, including Imran Khan at the time of the election of Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister.
The National Assembly also passed four bills which are National Meteorology Institute of Pakistan Bill 2022, the Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Iqbal Academy Pakistan Bill 2022 and the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2022, adjourning the session till Saturday.
