Zakhakhel tribesmen block Torkham highway after two men killed in Khyber

KHYBER: Zakhakhel tribesmen blocked the main highway leading to Torkham on Saturday after two men were killed in what the protesters described as a targeted attack late on Friday evening, tribal elders and participants in the protest said.

The demonstration was led by local tribal elder Malak Abdullah Khan and drew tribesmen as well as political party workers and civil society members. During the protest, participants announced that armed volunteers would be deployed to patrol local areas for self-defence.

The protesters also declared a complete ban on motorcycle riding in the area and said government employees belonging to the Zakhakhel tribe would not perform official duties until what they called a durable solution for restoring peace was found. They further announced a boycott of polio vaccination campaigns and said all government and private schools in the Zakhakhel area would remain closed.

The tribesmen also refused to meet any government functionary until a meaningful crackdown was launched against suspected militants said to be hiding in Mazreena and the surrounding localities.