PESHAWAR, July 22 (NNI): A preliminary report prepared by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Home and Tribal Affairs Department has blamed “miscreants” for the melee at the peace rally that led to at least one death and over two dozen injuries in Bannu on July 19.
The initial report on the Bannu incident said that on July 19 “some miscreants” disguised as protesters threw stones as well as resorted to firing at the site of security forces’ supply depot destroyed in the July 15 terrorist attack. It further said that realizing the gravity of the situation, the police tried to evict the protesters from the area.
The report recalled that two incidents that rocked Bannu last week, i.e. a terrorist attack on the cantonment that claimed the lives of eight security personnel and three civilians, as well as the chaos at the peace rally.
It has been stated in the report that at 4:40 am on July 15, some terrorists attacked the supply depot’s gate in the limits of Bannu cantonment, in which eight security personnel and three citizens embraced martyrdom. “The jawans of the Pakistan Army gave a befitting reply and shot dead all terrorists, who had received monetary assistance from abroad.”
The report has stated that on July 19, different political parties and traders’ associations took out a peace rally.
There were some troublemakers in the rally, who hurled stones at the site of supply depot besides setting the tents erected around it alight. “They also fired at the site using small weapons,” reads the report.
One person was killed while 25 were injured in the incident, it has said, adding that KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur tasked the provincial ministers as well as parliamentarians with holding negotiations with the people leading the protesters.
“The provincial government, in order to probe the incident, constituted a 40-member Jirga,” the report has said, adding the jirga had held talks with the local administration including the commissioner, deputy commissioner, regional police officer and divisional police officer and put forth a 16-point agenda.
“These points are now under active consideration and those which can be resolved and agreed to at the commissioner/administration level will be done so as soon as possible,” the Home Department said.
Expressing “deep shock and anguish” at the two incidents, the report noted that on July 19, “the gathering of traders’ community along with political leaders and workers of different political parties and other organisations ended peacefully at Pretty Gate, Bannu City. Later on, the participants proceeded towards Sports Complex.”
However, it noted that “some miscreants in garb of these protesters pelted stones on the security forces supply depot, set ablaze the tents erected in place of the demolished wall of the depot and resorted to small arms fire. The police deployed there took stock of the situation and endeavoured its best to take them out of the sensitive area.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the jirga, and urge the general public to have faith in their elected representatives, civil administration, police and security agencies and not allow any public enemy and enemy of state of Pakistan to exploit such sensitive situations. We further urge the general public not to pay attention to any negative propaganda and lies. Let us all move forward towards ensuring peace and prosperity in our motherland,” the report concluded. NNI
