Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has indicated he will call a meeting of the provincial Apex Committee in the next two days. This decision comes after the Bannu jirga presented its demands to him.
The jirga, a traditional assembly, put forth 10 demands, including the presentation of missing persons before the courts. These demands come in the wake of a violent incident during a Bannu ‘peace march’ that resulted in one death and several injuries.
The jirga’s demands include:
- Dismantling armed groups.
- Empowering police with night patrols.
- Allowing the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to conduct operations against terrorists instead of security forces.
- Presenting missing persons in court.
Jirga chief Nasir Khan stated that the Bannu sit-in would continue despite the recent violence and that CM Gandapur had listened to all their demands. Gandapur is expected to visit Bannu on Friday and has promised to call a meeting of the Apex Committee, with five jirga members attending.
The protest in Bannu on July 19 led to a provincial government investigation. However, the federal government has rejected the findings, accusing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of using weapons during the rally, causing chaos.
During a press conference on Monday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry mentioned that the Bannu marchers had chanted anti-army slogans and thrown stones at security forces. He showed footage of armed protesters attacking a wall under construction at the Bannu cantonment, explaining that the army’s response followed standard procedures.