Sadda, August 25, two persons were killed eight suffered injuries, when police opened fire to disperse protestors.
In Sadda on Thursday a man was accused of passing blasphemous comments. In response, people gathered started a protest and demanded punishment for the accused. The matter could be handled peacefully but police made the protestors violent and enraged when they open live rounds on protestors which claimed the lives of Javid (10th class student of Welcome Public School Sadda) S/O Abdur Rehman and Najeeb S/O Hussain (Eight years old boy). Eight suffered injuries in which the condition of two are said to be critical and are referred to Peshawar.
Unfortunately, Merged Districts are under the reign of unprofessional and untrained police personnel who do not even know how to handle a protest. Protest is a basic right of citizens but if it gets enraged or violent it can be controlled by tear gases, water cannons, arrests, and baton charges. Firing is not even an option. The incident is a clear consequence of the merger of Levies and Khasadars in police without keeping any merit into consideration. https://thepakistangazette.com/2022/07/22/policing-in-tribal-districts/
Curfew was imposed in Sadda all the educational institutions and activities are on hold.
Citizens demand the arrest and punishment of all those police personnel and officers involved in any way in this horrific incident.
The writer studies at the Department of English and Applied Linguistics University of Peshawar.