PTI and Insaf Youth Wing workers heading to join the long march in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper Waziristan district launched a sudden attack on police, pelting them with stones and opening direct fire, reportedly injuring several police personnel.
According to videos circulating on social media platform X, the situation suddenly turned violent as a PTI long march convoy was departing from Upper Waziristan, when PTI and Insaf Youth Wing workers allegedly attacked police personnel deployed there.
The protesters not only pelted the police with stones but also allegedly opened direct fire, reportedly injuring several police personnel performing their duties. The sudden attack triggered panic and fear in the area.
Police Respond, Fire Tear Gas Shells
Following the firing and stone-pelting on police, the security forces adopted a response to restore law and order.
Police fired multiple tear gas shells to disperse the angry and armed crowd, following which the groups involved in the unrest scattered and took cover at different places.
Security officials said the process of identifying those who took the law into their own hands and opened fire on police has begun, and strict legal action will be taken against them.
Rising Political Tensions in Tribal Districts
The former FATA region, particularly Waziristan, is already considered highly sensitive from a security perspective, where security forces and police have been continuously working to maintain law and order.
In recent days, political tensions in these areas have also increased amid the ongoing political confrontation in the province.
The presence of armed individuals in political convoys and incidents of clashes with security institutions have once again pushed the fragile law-and-order situation in the tribal districts toward a dangerous point.
Dangerous Trend of Protest and Lawlessness
In a democratic system, peaceful political protest is an established constitutional right of all political parties. However, using this right for violence, lawlessness and armed confrontation is a clear violation of the Constitution and the law.
The reported incident of political workers directly firing at and pelting stones at police in a sensitive and fragile area such as Waziristan is highly concerning.
When political workers choose confrontation with security institutions, it not only affects the writ of the state but also undermines the morale of law-enforcement agencies.
Political leadership has a major responsibility to keep its workers within peaceful limits and strongly discourage attacks on security forces.
If the targeting of state institutions responsible for safeguarding the state continues in pursuit of political objectives, the consequences could prove extremely damaging to national security.
