The sit-in protest against “brutal murder” of four youngsters continued on 5th day as families refuse to bury dead bodies until their demands are met.
According to details, dead bodies of 4 teenagers have been lying in Jani Khel for five days as government failed to meet the demands of the protesting family members.
The four youngsters were kidnapped from Jani Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Few days later their dead bodies were discovered from a shallow grave. The victims, who are 13 to 17 years of age, have been identified as Ahmadullah, Mohammad Rahim, Razamullah and Atifullah.
Locals allege that they have been killed by armed religious extremists that allegedly enjoy state’s backing. The family members have, therefore, demanded that a police case must be registered against the commanding officer of local security forces, a demand that has not been met.
The demands also include compensation package for the bereaved families and an end to armed militias in the region.
Government officials and a minister met with the tribal elders on Thursday, however, the negotiations failed and the sit-in has continued. There are also reports the sit-in might be moved to Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital city.
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a group campaigning for rights of Pashtun people in Pakistan, has also backed the demands of protestors. Several of its activists joined the protest to express solidarity. Social media activists of the PTM are also campaigning against the incident on Twitter and Facebook.