Rights activists held protests across the country against the murder of four young Pashtun activists who were targeted and killed by an unidentified motorcyclist in North Waziristan.
The four murdered activists have been identified as Waqar Ahmad Dawar, Sunaid Ahmad Dawar, Aamad Dawar and Assadullah.
The men had been travelling in a car when an unidentified motorcyclist opened fire on the activists in the Haiderkhel area of Mirali tehsil. The men were affiliated with the Youth of Waziristan, a non-profit organization that operates in the area.
The Youth Organisation was formed after the Zarb-i-Azb military operation and aims to restore peace in the militancy hit region. It also organizes protests and sit-ins against target killings and disappearances.
About two years ago security agencies took action against a sit-in organised by the Youth of Waziristan and arrested its founding president, Noor Islam Dawar.
NDM Chairperson Mohsin Dawar had announced that the NDM would be organizing protests in various cities of Pakistan to speak out against the target-killings.
NDM will be organising protests tomorrow in different cities of Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab against these gruesome murders and the ongoing wave of target killings in our areas. We request all political parties and civil society activists to join our protests. https://t.co/j4M6lrV1Dw
— Mohsin Dawar (@mjdawar) June 19, 2022
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak attended the protest in Islamabad, and later in a tweet, said that he had spoken about state-sponsored terrorists being behind the attacks on educated Pashtuns in Waziristan. He also said that with the Taliban in power in Kabul, there is no excuse for ‘hostile’ intel agencies anymore.
educated youth because they oppose the exploitation of Pashtuns as cannon fodder and their land as terror launching pad for the benefit of war economies/war lords. With Pak clients Taliban in Kabul, there is no excuse of hostile intel agencies. Pashtuns shall not be 2/4
— Afrasiab Khattak (@a_siab) June 20, 2022
Protests were held in many major and minor cities of the country.
A heartbreaking incident took place in North Waziristan yesterday in which four youths Asad Dawar, Waqar Dawar, Emad Dawar and Sunid Dawar were martyred. Protest in front of Peshawar Press Club today.
#WaziristanBleeding pic.twitter.com/LOsNLWw7GU— Mir Kalam Wazir (@KalamWazir) June 20, 2022
Banu NDM held a protest against the killing of four political workers in north Waziristan MirAli. NDM will speak against injustices and economy war. Stop state terrorism.#WaziristanBleeding pic.twitter.com/vtIPepCMwn
— Nadeem Askar (@NadeemAsker) June 20, 2022
Protest in front of Islamabad press club for the burtual assassination of 4 social activist who enlighten the issue of people related to peace and education were gun down yesterday in N waziristan. why the scale is differ for punjabi and for pushton? pic.twitter.com/vgcXZV05CJ
— Noor Daur (@NoorDaur1) June 21, 2022
Civil society members in Lahore also took part in the protests, with the Haqooq-e-Khalq Movement as well as the Progressive Students’ Collective organizing the demonstrations.
At the protest today against the brutal targeted killing of our Comrade Sunaid Dawar and his three comrades from Youth of Waziristan. These educated souls were working towards the betterment of their region, demanding universities and colleges in Waziristan.
1/5 pic.twitter.com/SDDpJM24Jl— حارث مان (@harismaan_) June 20, 2022
In different cities of Pakistan Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, DIK, Quetta, Lahore, sawabi, jandola, Harnai,Loralee, @NDM_Official held protest against the killing of four young educated political workers in north Waziristan. NDM arises against war injustices. #WaziristanBleeding pic.twitter.com/74ULnd1AXx
— Umar Sherani (@umarsheranie) June 20, 2022
The recent increase in target killings in the tribal belt have alarmed residents of the region. It is pertinent to note that the Pakistani government has been engaging in ‘peace’ talks and negotiations with the banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who have been demanding the reversal of the FATA merger as part of their negotiation requirements.
