The city of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa descended into unrest after security forces allegedly fired upon a large protest rally, leaving multiple protesters dead and at least another 26 injured.
The incident occurred when the rally comprised of thousands of protesters was marching towards the Bannu Cantonment area.
The protesters, which some estimates put at 10,000, comprised supporters of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), JUI, and the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), other local political parties, traders, activists, members of civil society and people from different walks of life, under the banner of the 'Aman Pasun'. They were protesting against growing militant activity in the region and the recently announced military operation Azm-i-Istehkam while demanding the restoration of peace and stability in the region. They chanted, 'We want peace' as they marched.
However, the incident caused the crowds to disperse. People could be seen carrying the dead and injured and transporting them to hospitals on the back of motorbikes and in private cars.
In the wake of the firing incident at the peace rally, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Department declared a health emergency in all public sector hospitals in district Bannu with immediate effect.
The health department's notification stated that the entire healthcare staff, including doctors and paramedics, was put on high alert to handle the emergent situation and mitigate the prospects of loss of human lives.
Commenting on the incident, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandpur has taken notice of the situation in Bannu and sought a report.
He said that the commissioner and deputy commissioner were negotiating with the protesters, adding the K-P chief minister has announced a financial package for the dead and injured. However, he asserted that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands in the guise of protest.
The incident drew widespread condemnation from various political parties and rights groups.
Awami National Party (ANP) President Aimal Wali Khan said that firing on the participants of a peace rally was a shameful act, which proves that the state is standing with extremism rather than peace.
He said the ANP condemns the firing on unarmed protesters and that his party supports all legitimate demands of the rally participants.
Describing the incident as a conspiracy aimed at pushing the people into a civil war, Wali demanded a thorough inquiry into the incident and called for taking those responsible to task.
Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council Vice Chairman Sadiq Ali Mohmand and Executive Committee Chairman Syed Taimur Ali Shah also condemned the incident and demanded an independent judicial inquiry.
They urged the federal and provincial governments to resolve the issue amicably to avoid the loss of innocent lives. The K-P Bar Council announced boycott of court proceedings across the province on Saturday.
Condemning the use of force allegedly by personnel of some state institutions on the participants of a peace march, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reiterated that it would not allow a "new military operation under the guise of terrorism and firing on peaceful citizens" in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
"All political parties of KP are on one page to rein in the monster of terrorism, but no permission would be given to launch new military operation under the guise of terrorism and firing on peaceful citizens," read a statement from PTI on Friday, issued after an emergency meeting of its Core Committee on the situation in Bannu.
The participants of the meeting "expressed alarm that keeping in view the sensitivity of the situation, there was also a fear that the protest could spread across the country and the situation might go out of control."
The Core Committee strongly condemned the use of violence and firing on peaceful marchers in Bannu, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and injuries to many, and urged the KP government to conduct an immediate, thorough and transparent probe into the unfortunate incident to bring those responsible to justice, the statement added.
The statement added that violent incidents during the peaceful protest in Bannu organised by all political parties and civil society organisations were a cause of great concern for the people of the country, especially KP.
The forum underlined that the gravity of the situation could be judged from the fact that reportedly, at least five people were martyred and several others sustained serious injuries as a result of direct firing by the state institutions personnel on the participants in the peace march, according to the statement
The Core Committee expressed deep sympathy to the affected families and assured them that PTI would not support any policy that contradicts the people's rights.
The meeting considered it essential to address the situation promptly and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice to avoid any kind of chaos and anarchy.
The meeting urged the provincial government to take swift action to restore normalcy, compensate the victims' families, and ensure the provision of the best health facilities to the injured.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the incident and urged the provincial and federal governments to engage with the protestors.
In a statement, the HRCP disputed the toll of five dead and over 20 injured, called for addressing the protester's legitimate concerns and holding to account those responsible.
"This seemingly state-sanctioned violation of citizens' right to life and right to freedom of peaceful assembly is reprehensible and reflects a dangerous contempt for citizen-led calls for peace," HRCP said.
Moreover, the HRCP stated that any actions taken to restore law and order in the region must be debated transparently in parliament and account for the rights of those affected.
It is pertinent to note here that the rally was held just days after the military thwarted an attack on the Cantonment in Bannu that resulted in the martyrdom of eight soldiers. At least 10 attackers were also killed.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the attackers attempted to infiltrate the cantonment but were repelled, leading them to detonate an explosive-laden vehicle against the perimeter wall.
The statement said that the suicide blast caused a portion of the wall to collapse and damaged nearby infrastructure.
Troops effectively engaged the terrorists as a result of which all ten terrorists were killed during the ensuing operation.