Quetta: A historic and highly significant public jirga was held in Malik Paind Khan Killi, a border area of Balochistan province, in which a large number of tribal elders, notables, youth, and local residents participated.
The jirga, chaired by Malik Paind Khan, unanimously adopted a very strong stance against the atrocities of the banned terrorist organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and announced a formal “lashkar kashi” (tribal armed mobilization) against them. Tribal elders made it clear that terrorists will no longer find any place to hide on their land.
Salman Bazai’s tragic incident and jirga’s strong anger
Addressing the jirga, tribal leader Malik Paind Khan strongly and emotionally exposed the atrocities of the TTP. Referring to the recent killing of local youth Salman Bazai, he expressed deep grief and anger.
He said: “Our innocent youth Salman Bazai was brutally killed, but the cruelty did not end there. It has been 28 days, and his body is still lying helpless in the mountains.
The terrorists did not allow him to be shrouded, nor are they allowing his burial. What kind of Islam and what kind of Pashtunwali is this that we are being deprived of even the basic and religious right to bury our own son?”
Displacement of local population and breaking point of patience
Tribal elders told the jirga that the TTP militants have made life extremely difficult for the local population. Malik Paind Khan said in his speech: “Our thriving homes were destroyed, we were forced to migrate from our ancestral lands, and our innocent families were pushed into displacement.
When you did not allow us to live peacefully on our own land, then we will also not allow you to breathe peacefully on this soil.”
All tribes participating in the jirga unanimously decided that the time has come for a final and decisive action against these elements. Participants raised slogans and declared that they stand shoulder to shoulder with the State of Pakistan and the Pakistan Army for the complete elimination of TTP.
Tribal lashkar and national resistance against terrorism
In thousands of years of tribal history, a decision of “lashkar kashi” or “qaumi ashar” is taken only when the situation becomes unbearable and the honor, life, and property of the tribe are directly under attack. In the past as well, whenever tribes in Swat, Dir, Bajaur, and Waziristan formed lashkars against terrorists, the terrorist networks faced severe defeat.
The TTP has recently been trying to re-establish its influence in the Pashtun belt of Balochistan and border districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, using tactics of intimidation and making examples out of youths like Salman Bazai to silence any opposition.
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