Darel Jirga asks terrorists to lay down arms, expresses support for govt’s anti-terrorism efforts
Chilas: Thousands of people today attended a grand Jirga (tribal meeting) held in the Gamari village of Darel Valley, Diamer District. The Jirga was held to discuss the on-going search for terrorists, their abbetors and supporters and the two SCO employees – an engineer and a technician, who were kidnapped from this area more than two weeks ago.
Addressing the Jirga, the local religious scholars and leaders said that the people of Darel don’t want bloodshed in their valley. They said that those involved in the kidnapping of the SCO officials have nothing to do with the people of Darel. They asked the kidnappers and other absconders to lay down their arms and surrender to the security forces. The speakers expressed confidence in the anti-terrorism strategy of the government.
The Jirga was addressed among others by Maulana Abdul Haleem, Maulana Farman Ali, Maulana Roshan, Maulana Jahangir and Maulana Wakeel Shah.
The speakers also urged the government to take action against people who provide food and shelter to the terrorists. They said that such elements are against Islam.
Later, speaking to the media, Maulana Farman Wali expressed hope that the Darel Jirga will be able to recover the abductees by tomorrow.
It is pertinent to note that the GB government has threatened to launch a military operation in the Darel and Tangir Valleys if the abducted employees of SCO are not handed over to the law-enforcers.
Diamer has seen a lot of bloodshed during the last couple of years, with miscreants attacking passengers, tourists, and police and army officials.
Other local leaders believe that miscreants are able to find footholds in these areas because of ineffective governance mechanisms. “Abject poverty, illiteracy and lack of basic necessities create space for violent narratives”, said Dr. Muhammad Zaman, a PTI leader form the region. He further said that while the people of the region are completely against terrorism, the government also needs to put its house in order.
The doctor, who contested as a PTI candidate from the region in June this year, said that without eradicating lawlessness and spreading education, the violent elements in the region cannot be defeated.
