Mengura: Demonstrators protesting the death of a school van driver and injuries to students in the Swat Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa dispersed peacefully after successful negotiations.
A day ago, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a school van in Gali Bagh area of Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as a result of which the driver was killed and two students were injured.
Officials said the assailants were waiting on a motorcycle and attacked the van as it passed. They fled immediately after the attack.
After the increasing incidents of unrest and the death of the driver in Swat, the citizens protested and it continued for 36 hours. The protestors demanded action against the attackers and called for a comprehensive strategy to prevent further incidents of unrest in the area.
Journalist Iftikhar Firdous said that the protestors remained on the road with the dead body of the driver for more than 36 hours. Later, when their negotiations with the Jirga were successful, they announced the burial of the dead body and the end of the demonstration.
Locals claim that terrorists from banned organizations were behind the attack, though no terrorist group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, social activists criticized the government for not paying attention to the issue.
Member of National Assembly Mohsin Dawar said in a tweet that “the attack on the school van in Swat should serve as a wake-up call for the state which seems to be losing its grip in the region”.
Former Federal Interior Minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao also expressed concern over the government’s failure to recognize the seriousness of the issue.
The citizens also warned the concerned authorities to march to Islamabad if the accused are not brought to justice as soon as possible.
