DERA ISMAIL KHAN/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday strongly deplored the police shelling on his party leader’s Jirga in Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) and termed it political victimization by the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
According to a report, the PPP legislator of KP Assembly Ahmad Kundi and Mayor of Paharpur Makhdoom Altaf Hussain Shah held a Jirga of people of three villages to settle a dispute over floodwater drainage in the areas.
MPA Ahmad Kundi said the police fired and shelled the Jirga resultantly three people were injured. He said the Jirga has failed due to the incompetence of Dera Ismail Khan DSP Fazlur Rahim who should be suspended immediately.
He also demanded that KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and IG Police take notice of the incident. The RPO DIK has said that the matter is being investigated.
Kundi said a large amount of water from Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Gomal has entered the areas of Tehsil Paharpur that is forcing people to relocate to his constituency.
Observing the situation, PPP Chairman Bilawal condemned the firing and shelling of civilians by the police in Tehsil Paharpur of Dera Ismail Khan.
Bilawal said police action on the gathering of three villagers is blatant hooliganism. He said the police action in the presence of elected representatives of the people, MPA Ahmed Karim Kundi and Mayor Altaf Shah is apparently an act of political revenge.
INCIDENT
Three people were injured in a stampede during a police action to disperse crowd within the limit of Bandkorai Police Station on Sunday.
According to sources, the feud erupted between the residents of Kech village and Bandkoari sub town on diverting floodwater to prevent their crops and localities.
The people hailing from the villages of Sardarey Wala, Ththa Balochan, and some other localities, agitated against the attempts as they feared the water would destroy their standing crops and infrastructure.
The local police reached the spot to quell the situation as well as to prevent any clash. The area which had been surrounded by the charged peasants soon witnessed a stampede-like situation when the police opted to disperse the furious mob with aerial firing and teargas shells. The action was followed by a stampede leaving three people with multiple injuries.
Till the filing of this report, elders of the area were mediating between the locals and police officials. While the senior officials of the department had also been taken on board to this effect.
