SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A shutter-down strike was observed with hundreds of people taking to the streets in Wana, the administrative headquarters of Lower South Waziristan district, on Friday against the deteriorating law and order situation, rising incidents of abductions for ransom, extortion, and bomb blasts.

The protest was organised by Muttahida Siyasi Aman Pasoon, an alliance of different stakeholders, and received overwhelming response from all major political parties, civil society, traders` associations, and the general public.

It is worth mentioning here that over the past year, the security situation in Lower South Waziristan has significantly worsened.

Targeted killing, kidnappings, and bomb blasts have become increasingly frequent.

Five days ago, a deadly blast at the office of the so-called peace committee in Wana claimed the lives of 12 people and injured 18 others. Three days prior to this incident, an IED explosion in the Azam Warsak area killed one child and injured another, further intensifying public anger and fear.

According to reports all mar-kets, including the main Rustam Bazaar, remained closed during the protest. The street s of Wana were filled with thousands of demonstrators, who waved white flags and chanted slogans such as `restore peace now`.

The demonstration saw participation from leaders and workers of Jamiat Ulema-iIslam-Fazl, Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamaat-i-1slami, Awami National Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, and the National Democratic Movement.

Prominent political figures, who led the protest, included former provincial assembly candidate Taj Wazir, JUI-F general secretary MaulanaRafiuddin, MNA Zubair Wazir, Ashfaq Wazir, and others.

Speaking to the crowd, the protest leaders said: `We have sacrificed lives and endured displacement in the fight against militancy, but now once again, unrest is being imposed on us.

There seems to be no functioning government in Wana; the administration is helpless while armed groups roam freely.

At the culmination of the protest, the leadership of peace alliance presented a comprehensive 13-point charter of demands to the government.

It includes restoration of police authority and an end to interference in the affairs of the civil administration, continuous police presence in all major and minor markets ofWana to ensure law and order, immediate reopening of all closed and non-functional schools across Lower South Waziristan, especially in Birmal tehsil, opening of the Angoor Adda border for full-fledged trade activities and construction of small dams to stabilise the water table in agricultural regions.

The charter also included complete ban on vehicles using tinted-glass, narcotics peddlers, display of arms; transfer of all government departments, including courts, from Tank district to Wana, concrete steps to curb targeted killing, extortion, bombings, and abductions, respectful repatriation of Afghan refugees and an end to forced evictions and cessation of illegal land occu-pation by military under the guise of establishing checkpoints.

The charter also included demands such as immediate release of former MNA Ali Wazir and all other political prisoners, presenting `innocent` detainees arrested during search operations before the courts and granting ownership rights on local mineral resources to the indigenous population.

This protest is seen as a turning point in the history of Lower South Waziristan, sending a clear and strong message to both federal and provincial authorities that public frustration has reached a boiling point.

The people of the region have made it evident that they will not remain silent anymore.