PESHAWAR: Local activists in Pakistan's northwestern valley of Swat raised concerns over militant presence in their area on Saturday, saying they wanted them eliminated from the mountainous region, a day after thousands of residents poured into the streets demanding peace.
Friday’s demonstration, organized by the Swat Qaumi Jirga in the scenic town of Matta, was dubbed "Aman Pasoon" or “peace uprising.” Protesters, carrying white flags, demanded a peaceful environment to revive tourism in what used to be a major hotspot for local and foreign backpackers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Swat famously endured Pakistani Taliban rule between 2007 and 2009 before a large-scale military operation pushed the militants out. A few years later, in 2012, militants shot and seriously wounded the future Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai for advocating girls' education.
While the area was reclaimed from the Pakistani Taliban, it continues to remain a sensitive flashpoint, according to its residents.
“Our rally was not about politics," Ayub Khan Asharray, a senior Awami National Party (ANP) member and a prominent local activist, said, speaking to Arab News. "It was about survival.”
“We were compelled to gather again after two of our brave activists were gunned down just days ago," he added. "When you raise your voice for peace, you are silenced with bullets."
Asharray said the people of the valley had been "mentally scarred," adding that tourism, their biggest source of income, was stagnant due to violent incidents.
Another activist, Zia Nasir Yousafzai, said that insurgents maintain a presence in dense forests along the valley’s border areas, at times setting up their own checkpoints.
“Every citizen deserves peace which is guaranteed by Pakistan’s constitution,” he continued.
The rally in Swat on Friday came against the backdrop of a surge in militant violence in the province. While most of the recent attacks have targeted the tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, residents of the valley say militancy continues in their town and nearby areas.
Arab News reached out to the provincial administration's spokesman, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, for comment but did not receive a response.
