13 more killed in Hangu

Jirga fails to convince non-local Taliban to vacate pickets
Statesman Report
HANGU: At least 13 more people were killed in fresh violence in Hangu on Sunday as non-local Taliban refused to abide by Jirga's decision demanding militants vacate their pickets.
A grand jirga, convened by Kohat commissioner Umar Khan Afridi, was held on Sunday to iron out differences between the groups.
The jirga was attended by Kohat DIG Qudratullah Marwat, district nazim Khan Afzal, district Khateeb Allama Jawad Ahmed Jawadi, Shabbir Khan and Allama Hussain al Hussaini.
The Jirga failed to achieve anything as the non-local Taliban refused to vacate their pickets and the fighting gained intensity with the passage of time.
"We would not abandon our pickets as the Amir Hakimullah group continues attacking us," non-local Taliban said.
The rival groups are using heavy weapons against each other as death toll in the three-day fighting rose to 30 while 45 others have been injured so far, locals said. "Heavy and automatic weapons like rockets, mortar shells and missiles are being used in the fighting and thirteen more people were killed in different areas of Paskallay, Gungano Kallay and Malikabad. On Sunday, helicopter gunships also shelled the locations of the warring sects, however, the fighting still continued, witnesses said, adding "fighting is more intensified during nighttime while occasional fighting is continued during daytime." All trade centres, bazaars and roads remained closed as 70 percent people have already shifted from the town in the wake of violence. "People had vacated the Hangu city before the start of Moharram and menfolk are staying back to guard their homes," locals said. Locals have demanded of the government to take immediate steps to maintain peace instead of watching the situation as a silent spectator. Reports reaching here said lashkars were being raised to attack populated areas of rival sects as their supporters started reaching the area from Orakzai Agency, Sadda, Kurram Agency and other regions. A complete administrative failure has been witnessed during the three-day fighting as there was no plan to stop the full-fledged war, BBC Urdu said while quoting a witness. People were angry that the administration, including the police and security forces, had taken shelter and were not coming out to talk to the locals or even fire teargas shells at the miscreants, it added. "The authorities knew a month before that rival sects were preparing for war because last year the government had not allowed the Muharram procession to pass through Hangu bazaar. Despite that, they took no strict measures against the miscreants," locals said.