ISLAMABAD: On Friday, the PTI core committee vehemently denounced the violence in Bannu and “directed” the provincial administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to conduct an open investigation and penalize those accountable for the killings of children.
A peaceful march in Bannu descended into violence, leaving at least one dead and others injured. The party asserted that a far higher number of people had died.
The party said that in order to protest a new “operation” against terrorism, practically all of the political parties in Bannu jointly organized a peaceful demonstration, during which the security apparatus allegedly opened fire.
The party expressed its concern in a statement that the uncontrollable situation could arise from the people’s protest in Bannu spreading to the entire country.
Concern is also expressed by HRCP and AWP, who demand that individuals accountable for fatalities take responsibility.
“A transparent investigation must be conducted and those responsible for the violent incident must receive exemplary punishment in order to avoid any such situation,” the PTI media cell said in a press release.
It stated that while all political groups in Bannu supported ending terrorism, they would not support any new operations that may endanger the lives of innocent bystanders.
The relatives of those killed and injured in the event will also get substantial compensation, as instructed by the core committee, from the province government.
The Awami Workers Party (AWP) called for swift and heroic action against those responsible for the “unprovoked” gunfire against peaceful protestors in Bannu, while simultaneously denouncing the act.
The party added that it fully supports the calls for an end to state-sponsored religious militancy, unaccountable wars, and military operations.
AWP President Akhtar Hussain stated in a statement that the party has continuously questioned the dictatorial reasoning behind the so-called “war on terror.”
He said that hundreds of innocent individuals had died, been forcibly disappeared, or been displaced as a result of this terrible state policy.
Separately, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed its disgust at reports that shots fired on peaceful protestors in Bannu resulted in several protestor deaths and over twenty injuries. The protestors were “thousands of whom had assembled to express their long-standing desire for peace and stability in the region and to demand an end to militancy and further security operations.”
According to the committee, this egregious act of violating citizens’ rights to life and the freedom of peaceful assembly betrays a grave disregard for citizen-led pleas for peace.
“The federal and provincial governments need to start addressing the protestors’ valid issues and interact with them right away. They also need to hold people accountable for the injuries and deaths of protestors. Furthermore, all measures implemented to reestablish peace and order in the area must take into consideration the rights of individuals impacted and be openly discussed in parliament.
Missing People
The PTI, meantime, has urged the Supreme Court (SC) to expeditiously examine cases concerning the recovery of missing persons and to stop the current wave of disappearances in the nation, which it alleged was intended to force its affiliates to change allegiance.
A party spokesperson stated in a statement released on Friday that the lawsuit pertaining to the recovery of missing persons, which was brought before the supreme court by well-known jurist Aitzaz Ahsan, should be scheduled for an immediate hearing in order to guarantee the quickest possible release.
The spokesperson said that strategies were being used to “crush the country’s largest political party and change the loyalties of its supporters,” including forced divorces, forced disappearances, framed cases, and kidnapping for statements.
According to the spokesperson, there is no room for extralegal actions or forced disappearances of citizens in a state that is constitutionally and legally ruled.
