Daily Times

In yet another grisly incident, unidentified gunmen on Friday night ambushed the vehicle of a political moharir of local administration in North Waziristan, leaving him dead on the spot and injuring his three bodyguards.

In the brazen assault, gunmen opened indiscriminate firing on HamidullahWazir, the political moharir of the local administration, who was patrolling near Sarobi, a populated area where the security forces have established their camp, Abdul Majeed Dawar, a resident of the tribal region stated.

“Hamidullah died on the spot while his three bodyguards received bullet injuries,” he added. The injured were shifted to a local hospital in a life-threatening situation.

Dawar said that the people of North Waziristan would yet again stage a sit-in in Mir Ali, a dusty hamlet in the area following the targeted killing of Hamidullah, adding a grand jirga would be held after Eid wherein some tough decisions will be made in the large interest of local tribes. Also a demonstration held against the killing of Hamidullah was dispersed after the authorities managed to convince the 3,000-strong assembly that security situation would be improved in the coming days. When contacted, Javed Iqbal Wazir, a resident of North Waziristan Agency and a contender for National Assembly in the upcoming elections, recalled Hamidullah was a bold officer who served in North Waziristan after Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

“Almost seven years ago, his father Amanullah Wazir was killed by terrorists in the same area when he was on duty. A presidential award was announced for Hamidullah’s father after his tragic demise.

“Hamidullah was patrolling in Sarobi locality to ensure security following the inking of a peace agreement between the government and local tribesmen in the backdrop of Mir Ali sit-in,” said an official of the local administration who wished to go unnamed.

“Though North Waziristan has been declared free of terrorists, sporadic attacks and killings of civilians are a matter of serious concern,” Iqbal Wazir stated.

He said military authorities should employ all measures to restore peace otherwise people would launch another decisive sit-in to get their legitimate rights done. In April this year, a wedding ceremony was targeted with a hand grenade, leaving two dead and 30 others wounded. At least three week ago, tribal people ended their five-day long sit-in in Mir Ali against targeted killings after reaching an agreement with the political administration of North Waziristan.

Published in Daily Times, June 3^rd 2018.