The rallies come as Pakistan has been hit by a wave of terrorism, mostly Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa…reports Asian Lite News
Thousands across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) took to the streets to record their protest against increasing lawlessness and terrorism in the region, demanding that the vulnerable police force be armed to the teeth, local media reported.
They were holding white flags and demanding strict action against terrorism, The Express Tribune reported.
Civil society member, lawyers, political workers and the general public attended the protests held at Peshawar, Bajaur, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Bannu, DI Khan and other key cities.
They said the police have been in the vanguard of terror fight and they should be protected and equipped properly to combat the menace effectively, The Express Tribune reported.
The rallies come as Pakistan has been hit by a wave of terrorism, mostly in K-P, as also in Balochistan and the Punjab town of Mianwali, which borders K-P. A terror attack also reached as far as the peripheries of Islamabad.
On January 30, a powerful explosion ripped through a mosque in Peshawar’s Red Zone area where between 300 and 400 people – mostly police officers – had gathered for prayers. The suicide blast blew away the wall of the prayer hall and caused the inner roof to collapse in which 101 people, mostly policemen, were killed.
January was the deadliest month since 2018, in which 134 people lost their lives – a 139 per cent spike – and 254 received injuries in at least 44 terrorist attacks across the country, The Express Tribune reported.
On Friday, several rallies organised by local rights organisations were held in K-P’s Shangla district. The leadership of different political parties, including the PTI, PPP, Awami National Party (ANP) and others, had addressed the rallies.
Imran pins responsibility on PM
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday accused the coalition government of the country of using the recent wave of terrorism to gain “political mileage” for its own benefit, local media reported.
In a televised address, the PTI Chairman claimed that terrorism was at its lowest-ever point during his government but resurfaced with a vengeance during the “current regime”, Dawn reported.
“Look at the graph of terrorism and how it came down during the PTI rule,” he said, adding, “Why wasn’t there any terrorism when PTI was in the federal government?”
Khan pinned the responsibility of rising terrorism on incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he recalled the sacrifices made by the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during the war on terror, Dawn reported.
“This is why they (KP public) came out yesterday and thronged the streets in fear that there might be another operation,” he said, adding that countless innocent lives are lost during anti-terror operations.
The PTI chief added that “lies” were spewed by PM Shehbaz in the cabinet meeting over the weekend regarding KP not utilising the terrorism funding properly, Dawn reported.
“KP spent Rs 600 billion in nine years. We made four police training schools, an elite training school in Nowshera, a special combat force to fight terrorism,” Khan said, adding, “This is why terrorism subsided. A DNA lab was also made in 2017 at Khyber Medical College.”
Khan also announced a “Jail Bharo Tehreek” as the next step to be taken by the PTI in light of the prevailing political situation that has seen several of its top leaders and allies spend time behind bars.
Elaborating on the movement, the PTI chief said “instead of thronging the streets, getting violent and ransacking places, we will now fill the jails of the country”.
This way, he said, the federal government’s “new hobby” of putting every senior PTI leader in jail will also be fulfilled, Dawn reported.
“Entire party and the people should prepare for the Jail Bharo Tehreek,” Khan said.