By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Hundreds of people took to the streets here on Thursday to show solidarity with the participants of Islamabad sit-in, seeking justice for Naqeebullah Mehsud.
Call for the rally was given by Swat chapter of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party.
People from different areas of the district gathered at tehsil municipality in Mingora and reached Nishat Chowk after marching through different bazaars.
The participants of the rally were holding banners inscribed with slogans against the extrajudicial killing of Naqeeb Mehsud by police in Karachi.
Addressing the rally, PkMAP central joint secretary Khurshid Kakajee said that every Pakhtun was angry over the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud and wanted justice.
“It is an encouraging sign that Pakhtuns have realised and come out to seek justice. However, we need to make joint efforts and stand united against the atrocities inflicted on Pakhtuns,” he said.
The PkMAP leader said that Pakhtuns were being killed across the country. It is high time to demand our constitutional rights.
Incidents like murder of Naqeebullah will continue to happen if Paktuns don’t try to stop them,” he added.
Kakajee said that Pakhtuns should get ready to face endless miseries if they failed to stand united and demand justice.
He also criticised release of Maulana Sufi Mohammad and said that leaders of the terrorists, who were actively involved in killings of innocent Pakhtuns, were being freed.
PkMAP provincial deputy secretary Dr Khalid Mehmood said that their protest against all types of injustices and atrocities would continue.
“Today we demonstrated at the district level and soon our protest will be extended to provincial and then national level if the culprits involved in extrajudicial killings are not arrested,” he added.
The PkMAP leaders also demanded end to misbehaviour and harsh language of the security forces at the checkposts with the local people.
They said that people in Swat suffered a lot and checkposts operators must behave politely otherwise they would take to the streets.
They also demanded judicial inquiry into the three-year mayhem in Swat.