Bannu violent protest killed one & injured 22 allegedly by military
A peaceful protest in Bannu City that drew hundreds of people demanding security in the southern district ended in chaos and turned violent. It resulted in the death of one person and injuries of twenty-two.
Local political parties and traders organized the Bannu peace protest where hundreds of participants waved white flags to signify regional peace. They were demanding the security of locals against terrorism as hundreds of people usually die in these areas due to terrorist attacks.
Their march ended at the Sports Complex where several speakers, including Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, gave speeches. Senator Muhstaq is a politician from Jamaat-i-Islami (JI). Everything went smoothly until a mob came into action.
According to eyewitnesses, tensions rose when a mob marched towards the Bannu cantonment. They set fire to tents built by military forces to protect a section of a wall that had been destroyed in a terrorist attack on July 15, 2024.
Eight Pakistani soldiers died in that attack on a military installation in the Bannu cantonment. Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s armed group, based in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for this fatal attack on cantonment.
Regarding the recent protest, gunshots were fired toward tents from a nearby place during a mob march towards the cantonment. Afterward, military personnel retaliated with gunfire, there were numerous injuries and at least one casualty.
However, former JI parliamentarian Mushtaq Ahmad blamed military forces for the bloodshed of protestors. He said state terrorism and military operations are unacceptable.
On the other hand, some KP government officials stated that gun firing was the result of a fight between two groups. Meanwhile, local officials rushed to restore order as the Bannu protest turned chaotic and violent. The Bannu district government called jirga of local elders and police to calm the situation.
PTI Member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Sohail Afridi expressed his views on the Bannu incident. He said Pashtuns are making sacrifices and becoming martyrs. They are also receiving bullets and titles of “terrorists.”
Baloch Yajkehti Committee also blamed Pakistan Army officials for firing straight on peaceful Pashtuns. It said the state is deliberately portraying this incident as normal while firing straightly on innocent Baloch and Pashtun.
Click here to read the updates on Security forces repel BLA attack in Balochistan’s Mach area
Social media users have been sharing videos of ambulances taking injured people to hospitals since July 19, 2024. Some netizens also shared injured people occupied with blood.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has ordered an investigation of this incident. He instructed district authorities to consult with local elders to bring up facts behind violence in protest.
KP government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has announced the establishment of a formal commission for a transparent investigation of a violent protest in Bannu.
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