Mehsud tribesmen staged a demonstration in the South Waziristan political katchehry (court) in Tank here on Wednesday. Addressing the demonstrators, local elder Hassan Khan appealed to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Amnesty International, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and national and international media organisations to witness ‘atrocities’ being committed against tribesmen.He said economic sanctions had been imposed on the tribesmen of South Wazirstan, calling them “a violation of international laws and United Nations charter”. Other speakers said the government had deployed around 70,000 troops along the border with Afghanistan, which according to them was guarded by the Mehsud tribesmen in the past.
Later, local elders held a jirga. Several elders, including Maulana Mirajuddin and Malik Masood Ahmed, told the jirga that tribesmen should join hands to prepare a strategy to resolve the crisis.
Maulana Attaur Rehman, brother of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and a candidate for NA-25, also participated in the jirga, assuring the tribesmen of his support. He said, “Action being taken by the government against tribal people, especially the Mehsud tribe, is a blow to national interests.” The jirga formed a 33-member committee, which would resume its activities from Thursday (today) for restoring peace in the area. Also, Mehsud traders in Tank observed a shutter-down strike against the ongoing military operation in the area.