Over 10,000 people from various organizations joined a peace rally in Bannu, KPK. Police opened fire to stop the rally, reportedly killing around 200 Pashtun protesters.
Pakistan and its Army have been accused of violating human rights once again. According to local reports, they opened fire on a peace rally in Bannu city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the deaths of approximately 200 Pashtun protesters.
Over 250 people were reportedly injured due to the sudden gunfire. However, Pakistan has not officially announced any such large number of casualties in the peace rally. Footage shows people being transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
A peace rally was organized in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the banners of various organizations in the region. The rally aimed to promote peace in the state and protest against militant activities and discriminatory politics.
The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and other local political and human rights organizations supported the rally.
Thousands of locals were moving toward the Bannu Cantonment area when the incident occurred. The actual reason behind the security forces’ attack on the rally is not clear yet. However, bullets fired at unarmed people reportedly took the lives of about 200 individuals.
Commenting on the incident, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif said that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has taken notice of the situation in Bannu. He further announced that the government has decided to provide compensation packages to the families of those killed.
Behind the Terrorism Lies the Uniform
“Ye jo dahshatgardi hai, iske piche vardi hai” (Behind the terrorism lies the uniform) is a popular slogan in Pakistan. People from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa often chant this slogan in their fight for human rights. Pashtuns and Balochs believe that the Army is responsible for the militant activities in their regions.
They also accuse the Pakistani government of denying them their human rights. At the peace rally, people could be heard chanting slogans against terrorism and Army abuse. However, the Pakistan government and Army reportedly seek to suppress these voices, often resorting to force.
The recent incident in Bannu, where security forces allegedly opened fire on unarmed protesters, is cited as a live example of this suppression.
Also read: Fundamentalists Target Actor Sonu Sood with Lewd Remarks
One thought on “Pakistani Army Reportedly Kills 200 Protesters During Peace Rally”