In the Khyber district's Jamrud Tehsil, the sit-in protest by the Koki Khel internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Rajgal, Tirah Valley, has entered its 34th day. Protesters have blocked the Pak-Afghan Highway, causing severe inconvenience to traders and residents.
Addressing the participants at the protest site in Bhagyari, Jamaat-e-Islami leader and former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan stated that the Koki Khel tribe has been living as displaced people for 14 years without being allowed to return to their homes, despite the fencing along the border. He highlighted that in these 14 years, their homes, agriculture, forests, and infrastructure have been destroyed, but they are still denied the right to return, which he termed a violation of human rights.
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Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan criticized the government and the state for not recognizing the sacrifices made by the Koki Khel tribe for the country's sake, calling it an act of oppression and brutality.
Other speakers, including Malik Naseer Ahmed Koki Khel, Barkat Khan, Syed Agha Jan Koki Khel, Sanaullah Afridi, Malik Barak Tor Khel, Haroon Afridi, Dr. Minhaj, Zarghoon Shah Afridi, Haji Abdul Mateen Afridi, and Haji Mubarak Shah, also addressed the gathering.
It is worth mentioning that this ongoing protest has significantly impacted the people of Landi Kotal, the local economy, and the Pak-Afghan trade.
