Protesters block roads in South Waziristan after talks with leaders

ISLAMABAD: Protesters who had staged a sit-in blocked roads in South Waziristan on Tuesday after talks between their leaders and local administration failed to yield positive results, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported.

The protest sit-in in the South Waziristan district headquarters, Wana, entered the fifth day on Tuesday. The sit-in has been organised by Waziristan Aman Olasi Pasoon (Waziristan peace public movement) to demand that the government restore peace in the district, frequently hit by militant attacks.

The protestors after the failure of negotiations, erected barricades on roads to disrupt traffic as more than 8,000 shops in Wana Bazaar remained closed. Imran Mukhlis, a leader of Waziristan Aman Olasi Pasoon, while speaking at a press conference said that negotiations with the administration continued since the sit-in started five days ago, but the talks did not yield any results.

"We are giving a message to the international human rights organisations that we are seeking peace in our country," he said as quoted by Dawn newspaper. He, however, said that the government did not bother listening to their demands.

"We are begging for peace from the state institutions. We want peace and better law and order in the region," Mukhlis added. He said that several talks with the administration had ended without giving any results.

He said that the administration had accepted some of the protesters' demands, including also involving the FC along with the police for patrol duty, speeding up work on the construction of police stations, and setting up new police posts, reported Dawn.

"Despite lengthy consultations with the officials, the negotiating committee of the Waziristan Aman Olasi Pasoon believes that the civil administration is unable to use its constitutional and legal powers to meet the demands of tribal people," Mukhlis said as quoted by Dawn.