Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Swat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), on Friday following a roadside bomb attack on a convoy of foreign diplomats, which killed a police officer in their security detail.
While most militant attacks in K-P are linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the group distanced itself from this attack. The convoy, heading to the Malam Jabba ski resort, remained unharmed.
“;The protest is meant to give a message for the restoration of peace,̶1; said Mazhar Azad of the Swat Qami Jirga, leading the demonstration at Nishat Chowk in Mingora. “;We want peace at any cost, we want an end to terrorism. We don’t want any kind of war on our land,̶1; he lamented. Despite a high-level threat alert banning large public gatherings, the protest saw wide participation from political parties, civil rights groups, and local activists.
“;We are being told that militants are present in the mountains of Swat,̶1; said Khalid Mehmood Khan, another Jirga member. “;If this is true, then it is evidence of state failure. We will no longer accept unrest and militancy in Swat under any circumstances,̶1; he maintained.
K-P government spokesperson Muhammad Saif stated that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the attack on the diplomats. Swat Police spokesperson Moen Fayaz confirmed the protest ended peacefully and reaffirmed the police’s commitment to fighting militancy.
