Six kidnapped and murdered in North Waziristan
Pakistan
Victims were from Punjab and barbers by profession
MIR ALI (Dunya News/Web Desk) – Six people were killed by unidentified armed men in Mir Ali – a town in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – as the province wrestles with worsening law and order situation due to the rising terrorism at a time when the much-awaited countrywide elections are just over a month away.
Mir Ali is located 12 kilometres east of Miran Shah, the district headquarters, and 40 kilometres west of Bannu. The erstwhile tribal region is now part of Bannu Division.
Police say the victims were from Punjab and ran barber shops in the local bazaar, adding that they were abducted a day earlier and their bodies had been recovered on Tuesday from a nearby area.
The increase in terrorism acts – including attacks on military and police as well as targeted killings – are on the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially the former tribal belt. However, the region around Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan has been worst affected.
Read more: Five terrorists eliminated in North Waziristan
In this scenario, running election campaign has become a huge challenge to certain political parties – JUI-F, ANP, PML-N and PPP – which are known target of terrorist groups.
That’s why JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was attacked earlier near Dera Ismail Khan, on Monday called for postponement of the Feb 8 polls because of the poor law and order situation.
His party leaders and members have been attacked multiple times in the past, while the ANP lost over 300 workers during the 2008-13 period despite being ruling the province at that time.
The ANP provincial chief, Aimal Wali Khan, along with Fazl, is reportedly facing serious threat, as they believe that the PTI clinched power in the province in 2013 and 2018 after others were not allowed to run election campaign.
Last year, the PTI founder had admitted in public that he as prime minister ensured resettling of Taliban and their families in the erstwhile tribal region as part of the so-called peace talks. Since then, the province has been experiencing a return of terrorism scourge.
