Protesters block roads in Pak’s South Waziristan as sit-in continues over rising militancy

ISLAMABAD [Pakistan], Jan 13: Major roads connecting Pakistan’s South Waziristan region were kept blocked by the protesters as the sit-in continued for the sixth consecutive day despite the chilling winter.
The protesters blocked vital roads to protest the rising incidents of militancy and other crimes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general, The News International reported on Thursday. The Pakistani daily said thousands of residents, workers and activists of almost all the political parties, activists, civil society members, and students of South Waziristan are participating in the sit-in to demand the restoration of lasting peace in the region.
According to The News, the organisers threatened to expand the protest sit-in to other areas if the government did not accept their 10-point agenda of demands forthwith.
The protest comes with the deteriorating security situation in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with the growing presence of the outlawed TTP in Pakistan.
Over the past few months, Pakistan’s law and order situation has worsened, with terrorist groups like the outlawed TTP and the Islamic State group executing attacks with near impunity.
The year 2022 ended with the deadliest month for Pakistan’s security personnel in over a decade, said an Islamabad-based think tank as it pointed to the emergence of TTP as the biggest threat to the country.
In its annual report, the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) said Pakistan security forces lost at least 282 personnel during 2022 in attacks that included IED ambushes, suicide attacks, and raids on security posts, mostly in the Pakistan-Afghan border regions. (ANI)