Tribal NGOs condemn brutal assassination of Fareeda Afridi

http://criticalppp.com/archives/82661

A condolence meeting was held in SPO office Peshawar to remember Ms. Farida Afridi who was brutally assassinated by the

brutal, negative and anti social forces today morning at Jamrud Khyber Agency, FATA. Farida Afridi was a founding member of SAWERA organization which is active doing its social activities for the uplift of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in general and Khyber Agency in particular. At the moment she was the HR Manager in her said organization. Today morning on Saturday, July 4, 2012 as she left her home for office in Hayatabad Peshawar immediately two criminals having Kalashnikovs in their hands appeared on a motorcycle who intercepted her and shot her dead. The culprits fled away after the incident. This was not the first incident of a social worker in FATA. On December 8, 2011 Mr. Zartif Khan Afridi a well known human rights defender and partner of SPO was also killed and an unknown Islamic jihadist out fit with name Al Uzzam Brigade took the responsibility. Al Uzzam Brigade is active killing people affiliated with development sector in Khyber Agency and Mohmand Agency FATA. Zartif Khan Afridi had arranged a tribal Jirga few days before his death. Terrorists had announced after the death of Zartif Khan Afridi that who so ever found involved in social and human rights activities in Khyber Agency would be killed. In Mohmand Agency well known and noted journalist and a partner of SPO Muhammad Khan Atif was murdered at a time when he was standing for evening prayers. Ms. Farida, Zartif Khan Afridi and Mukarram Khan Atif all were the partners of SPO-Peshawar, members FATA Civil Society Network and Tribal NGOs Consortium. The sudden and brutal killing of the said social workers in FATA discouraged those who work in FATA for the uplift of the marginalized and down trodden people especially women. It is the responsibility of state and security agencies to protect the human rights defenders in FATA and elsewhere. Both have badly failed and have no sympathy for the people who are killed in such incidents. If civil society did not unite for its right then it is feared that other social workers will be killed in this way. Both government and security agencies will be sleeping and people like Farida, Zartif Khan, Khan Habib Afridi and Mukarram Khan Atif will be mercilessly killed. We the participants of civil society organizations in Peshawar strongly condemn this tragic death and vow to raise our voice against this tyranny and brutality at the hands of anti state elements who have been given free hand to kill people of civil society. We the participants also demand for the immediate arrest of the culprits who should be given exemplary punishment as per law of the country. Those who were present on the occasions were Arshad Haroon Regional Head SPO Peshawar, Shahid Mehmood, Ijaz Durrani of SPO, Idrees Kamal Coordinator Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society and Amn Tehrik, Zar Ali Khan Afridi, Coordinator FRs CSN and Chairman Tribal NGOs Consortium, Malik Luqman of FATA Democratic Movement and Ameer Khan of Pakhtun Democratic Council. Besides a large number of people representing civil society also participated and prayed for the departed soul. Issued by Tribal NGOs Consortium