ISLAMABAD: Tribesmen from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) protesting the killing of four young men called off the demonstration after successful talks with the provincial government, a spokesperson announced on Monday.
“KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan personally accepted the settlement and the demands of the protesters,” Kamran Bangash said.
On Sunday, thousands of protesters broke through a police blockade in KP as they tried to march on Bannu and then on to Islamabad to demand a government probe into the deaths of four young men who they allege were tortured and killed by security forces.
The protesters were carrying the bodies of the deceased, aged between 15 and 20, reported to be found in a shallow grave on March 21 in the town of Jani Khel, outside Bannu.
The four dead boys had been missing for several weeks, according to their relatives. They further said the bodies bore signs of torture when they were found and claimed the youth died during interrogation by security forces.
The protesters held a sit-in in Jani Khel for nearly a week, refusing to bury the bodies until an investigation was opened against an officer they alleged was responsible.
After the announcement was made on Monday, Lateef Wazir, an active member of the protest, said that protesters would be returning to Jani Khel where the funeral will be held.
Wazir said that the protesters wanted to move to Islamabad “but our jirga elders held talks with the government and the government accepted all demands.”
Officials of the KP government, including Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, had travelled to Bannu on Sunday to meet with protesters.
“This incident is a challenge for my government and law enforcement agencies,” Khan said in a statement, adding those responsible for the deaths will be held accountable.
The agreement, signed between the government and the demonstrators on Monday, said the protesters agreed to immediately end the protest.
The government will ensure peace and security in Jani Khel and purge the locality of any groups seeking to cause unrest, it read.
It further added that no legal weapons would be taken from the homes of peaceful residents and no homes would be destroyed in the process to ensure peace.
“The four martyred (individuals) will receive a Shuhada Package,” the agreement added. The package had been one of the key demands of the protesters for the families of the victims.
Development packages would also be provided for Jani Khel by the government and arrangements would also be made for the people to meet with government officials to find solutions to their problems.
An investigation and review would also be immediately started of Jani Khel detainees in custody and would be completed within three months. “Innocent individuals will be released on a priority basis and a decision in accordance with the law will be taken for anyone found guilty.”
People arrested from Jani Khel and other nearby areas in the protest would also be immediately released.
The town of Jani Khel is part of the former semi-autonomous tribal areas, a region along the Afghanistan border that served as a base for the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other militant groups until a series of military offensives drove them out.
