Is the return of the Afghan Taliban affecting Pakistan's tribal districts as well?
A 17-year-old Israr (pseudonym) was having a nightmare on August 19 in a village near Peshawar when his phone rang late at night. But the message on this phone call not only blew their sleep, but they will probably never forget this call for the rest of their lives.
Israr told me more about the call during a meeting outside the district headquarters of Orakzai District in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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| Afghan Taliban affecting Pakistan's tribal |
"I was just sleeping. At about two o'clock in the morning, this phone call opened my eyes. My younger brother informed me that some people broke into our house and dragged our father out of the house and shot him dead. He told me to get back home immediately.
The seven agencies of FATA (Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, North Waziristan, South Waziristan), which merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in May 2018, have now been given district status, with administrative affairs instead of political agents. Responsible for the Deputy Commissioner.
After the death of his father, Israr, wearing a thin black shalwar kameez, had come to his office to meet Muhammad Khalid, Deputy Commissioner, Orakzai District, to get the 'Martyrs Package', where I met him a few days ago.
"My father used to run his shop in Orakzai. He served the nation, he helped the people of the area, and especially the families returning to Orakzai, but he was killed. And those who did so said they were informants for the army, the biggest informants in the area.
Three days after Israr's father was killed, the Islamic State of Khurasan, an alleged militant group, claimed on Facebook that it was behind the killing, as Israr's father was a "spy for the Pakistani army."
But Israr doesn't believe it and says he had no animosity with anyone, nor did he say anything at home. We didn't know anything about it. He just ran his own shop, and talked to the government to help the locals. He was one of the elders here.
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| Afghan Taliban affecting Pakistan's tribal |
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