emonstration: Tribesmen, students of North Waziristan demand to ease curfew

Members of Waziristan Student Society protest outside the Peshawar Press Club against military operations in North Waziristan. PHOTO: INP

PESHAWAR:  Students and tribesmen of North Waziristan demanded the authorities to ease the curfew imposed in the agency on Friday.

During a demonstration on Sher Shah Suri Road near the Peshawar Press Club, protesters said residents were suffering from clashes between the militants and the security forces in the agency. They asked for relaxing the curfew so that those stranded could move to safer locations.

Protesters were led by tribal elders, Malik Riaz and Malik Akbar Khan, along with Waziristan Students Society President Hashim Khan and General Secretary Tahir Dawar. They carried placards and called for peace in the agency.
Riaz told journalists the curfew was imposed on Thursday night in the agency and had left a large number of residents stranded. “Their hardships have been compounded by power shortages, sluggish gas supply and scarcity of food items,” he said. The tribal elder claimed that the clashes between security forces and militants had resulted in collateral damage and loss of property.