Pakistan: Locals block highway in protest against targeted killings in North Waziristan

North Waziristan: Locals in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district staged a sit-in blocking the main highway connecting Miramshah with other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to protest against the targeted killings and lawlessness in the area.
The sit-in took place on Wednesday. The protest movement has been started under the direction of the Uthmanzai tribe's elders, the main tribe from which the Dawar and Ahmadzai Wazir tribes of North Waziristan descend, Dawn reported.
They have been demanding of the government to take action against the target killers and maintain peace in the district.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the tribal council (Jigra) of Uthmanzai elders had met where it was decided that a protest movement would be launched and continued till acceptance of their demands.
The jirga had also decided to start a complete boycott of the official functions, and that the local people would neither visit offices nor meet the officials.
A 30-member jirga comprising elders of all branches of the Uthmanzai tribe was constituted to discuss the situation with the local officials, reported Dawn.
Meanwhile, the protesters blocked the Miramshah-Bannu Road while placing boulders on it.
On the other hand, the workers of different political parties and local residents continued a sit-in in the Eidek area near Mirali town.
Meanwhile, a report on Monday said that five people were killed by unidentified gunmen in the last two days in different parts of North Waziristan tribal district, police and residents said.
Police said that the killings took place in the Mirali tehsil of North Waziristan. Unidentified gunmen killed three people on Monday while two others were shot dead on Sunday.
The witnesses said that the gunmen killed a man identified as Firdos Khan of Khaderi village in Mirali Bazaar.
Hours later, another person identified as Azmar Ali was shot dead in the town. Later, a resident of Omreki village near Mirali was also killed, the Dawn reported.
On Sunday, unknown gunmen killed two residents of the Bannu district in Mirali.
Notably, there have been several cases of such killings in North Waziristan over the past months.
Earlier, the workers of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and other political parties also been protesting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan against the killing of its local leaders and lawlessness in the district.
They continued a sit-in protest against lawlessness in Eidek village and demanded early arrest of the killers of JUI-F leaders Qari Samiuddin, Hafiz Nauman and others, Dawn newspaper reported.
This comes after a few unidentified gunmen on Monday killed a councillor-elect Malik Murtaza, who was also from Eidak village. He was elected councillor during the second phase of the local body elections. (ANI)