Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Archives - Lokmarg

Pakistan: Five Chinese Nationals Killed In Suicide Attack

By LokMarg 26th March 2024

Five Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide attack in Besham city in Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Geo News reported, citing the police.

Malakand’s Deputy Inspector General of Police said that the attackers hit their explosive-filled car into the vehicle in which the Chinese nationals were travelling.

The Chinese nationals were reportedly, engineers who were going to Dasu camp from Islamabad.

The driver of the car sustained injuries in the attack and has been moved to a local hospital, police said.

Reuters has reported, citing Mohammad Ali Gandapur, the regional police chief, that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver have been killed in the attack.

Notably, Dasu town is the site of a major dam and the area has been attacked in the past. A blast on a bus killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, in 2021.

Further details are awaited in the case. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Pakistan Army Bans Pashto In Army Public Schools

By LokMarg 21st October 2022

In a recent crackdown against one of Pakistan’s largest ethnic minorities, the Pakistan Army has banned Pashto in its Army Public Schools, reported local media.

As it has been banned now in many schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, students have been warned they would be fined if caught speaking in the language.
Several Pakistani journalists and political activists on social media condemned the move and said that the ban must be highlighted and stopped.

In a statement, the head of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Manzoor Pashteen said in response to this action: “Pashto has been removed from the media, curriculum, justice, and politics for a long time, but in many schools, it is also forbidden to speak Pashto normally. We should learn many languages, but no one will ever ban Pashto, our mother tongue,” local media reported.

Pashteen further added and said that the national identity of the people will be lost if the language is lost by any means.

Earlier as well, the intellectuals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have urged the Pakistan government to declare Pashto as the medium of instruction in schools, however, the recent crackdown on language has sparked immense outrage across the nation.

Besides Peshawar, literary and cultural organizations in Swat, Malakand, Buner, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Karak, and other tribal districts have organized events repeatedly to mark the importance of the mother tongue, Dawn reported. (ANI)

Pak: Peace Rally Calls For End To Militancy In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

By LokMarg 17th October 2022

People in Lakki Marwat District in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province organized a peace rally protesting against the rampant terrorism incidents in the region, media reports said.

The terrorism menace is witnessing a resurgence in the KP province. In a recent incident, a man was killed over a land dispute in the Eesakkhel village of Lakki Marwat on Sunday, reported Dawn.
A person by the name Shaukatullah and his brother, Naimnatullah, were working in the fields when their rivals, opened fire on them, said police officials adding that Naimatullah died on the spot. Shaukatullah escaped the attack which was carried out by two rivals namely Shafiq and Javed.

The dead body was shifted to the hospital for autopsy, the police said, adding they had registered a case against the killers. However, this is not an isolated case of an act of terrorism. KP province has long been gripped by these activities resulting in the death of innocent people.

Protestors organised the rally Sunday and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The menace had brought destruction on Pakhtuns soil and “caused the spilling of blood of thousands of innocent people,” the speakers at the rally said.

The rally started from Shaheed Abid Ali Chowk and culminated at Qazi Ishfaq Chowk near the main bus stand after passing through the Lakki-Tajazai Road. People from different walks of life, including activists of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl, Awami National Party (a Pashtun nationalist party) and Pakistan People’s Party, students and members of civil society, participated.

The protesters carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans for peace. Police was on alert to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the rally. To realize this, a large contingent of police was deployed around the protest venue.

The speakers denounced recent incidents of terrorism in Lakki Marwat and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and asked the government to take stringent measures to eliminate terrorism and promote peace and prosperity, reported Dawn.

Pakistan’s top security committee has promised a strong response to the resurgence in militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and agreed on a plan for counterterrorism measures.

The National Security Committee (NSC) meeting attended by ministers, and heads of intelligence agencies, was convened in the wake of massive protests in the Swat district against growing insecurity in the scenic valley.

Earlier this month, Pakistan’s State Minister for Law Shahadat Hussain conceded that terror activities had witnessed a sharp increase.

The highest number of terror incidents in Pakistan this year was recorded in September, said an Islamabad-based think tank pointed to the resumption of attacks by the outlawed TTP. The number of terror attacks increased in September compared to August this year, the Dawn said in an earlier report citing the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

September witnessed 42 militant attacks with an increase of 35 percent compared to August.

The Pakistani think tank also observed an increase of 106 percent in violence in erstwhile Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (ANI)