Residents take to the streets after a school bus driver was shot dead in the latest of a growing number of violent incidents.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Thousands of people have rallied in Pakistan’s Swat Valley to protest against growing insecurity following the killing of a local school bus driver who was shot by an unknown assailant on Monday.
Chanting slogans against the increasing number of killings in the area, protesters took to the streets on Tuesday afternoon in Nishat Chowk, demanding that the government do more to ensure the safety of residents there.
Ahmed Shah, spokesperson for Swat Qaumi Jirga, a representative body of local residents, said more than 15,000 people had attended the protest – the sixth in the past two months.
“We held one protest last week but the one today is among the largest demonstrations ever in Swat,” he told Al Jazeera.
Fawad Khan, an activist with Swat Olasi Pasoon (Swat People’s Movement), who was at Tuesday’s protest, told Al Jazeera that there had been a clear increase in violent incidents in the region.
“We are demanding the government control the terrorist elements who are back and spreading terror here,” he said. “We must be given protection, which is our constitutional right.”
According to police officials, the latest incident of violence took place in Mingora on Monday morning when the school bus driver was shot dead by a man riding a motorcycle.
Hussain Ahmed, 33, was driving two young students, one of whom was wounded and taken to hospital before being discharged.
Police officials told Al Jazeera they have ruled out “terrorism” since this was a targeted attack on an individual, but they are continuing to investigate. They added that there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack so far.
Monday’s attack came a day after the 10th anniversary of the shooting of Malala Yousafzai by the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP or Pakistan Taliban) when she was a schoolgirl.
Mohsin Dawar, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, condemned the latest attack and said this should be a wake-up call for the state.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Dawar said that he has voiced concerns about the increased presence of “militants” in the area since he joined parliament, but nothing has been done.
“Mainstream Pakistan perhaps does not realise the severity of the situation because they are not feeling the heat yet,” he said. “If Pakistan’s political and military leadership does not sit together to resolve this menace, I fear that in coming days the situation will be out of control.”
TTP stronghold
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, a civil rights group, also issued a statement on Monday saying that residents of Swat are justified in holding security forces responsible.
“It was callous and short-sighted to have downplayed the threat from militants given residents’ growing protests and calls for security,” the statement read.
Last month, five people – including an influential anti-Taliban tribal leader – were killed in a bomb blast in Swat’s Kot Katai village.
Swat, which is roughly 240km (150 miles) from the capital, Islamabad, was a major TTP stronghold until 2009, when the Pakistani military drove the armed group’s fighters out.
The recent surge in violence comes as peace talks between Pakistan’s security forces and the TTP have failed to yield any progress.
Swat Valley
Swat valley is one of the major tourist attractions of Pakistan. It is known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, it has one of the oldest civilizations history and one of the beautiful scenery one could ever see.
Location: It lies between 34°-40′ to 35° N latitude and 72′ to 74°-6′ E longitude. It is located between the foothills of Hindukush mountain range. It is the part of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. The location of Swat valley has a major strategic importance as it lies in the region where South Asia, Central Asia and China meet.
Accessibility: Swat valley can reach through Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The total distance from Peshawar is 151 km and from Rawalapindi via Nuwshera- Mardan and Malakand Pass is 270 km. We can easily find regular flights to Saidu Sharif, the capital city of Swat. When travelling on personal vehicles, the Motorway (M-1) can be used to reach Mardan Interchange from Islamabad which takes approximately 1.5 hours (131km). From Mardan, a distance of 112 km can be covered via Takh-e-Bai, Dargai, Malakand Pass, Batkhella, Chakdara to reach Mingora or Saidu Sharif. It takes almost 5 hours to cover the distance of 247 km. The travelling routes are open throughout the year. Nowadays public transport facilities have also improved. Daewoo buses are commonly used for travelling.
Attractions: The major attractions of the Swat valley include its archeology, the lush green sites, the history and their art.
