Mir Ali: Residents of Mir Ali, North Waziristan, have ended their week-long sit-in protest against an alleged drone strike after reaching an agreement with local authorities.
The protest, which lasted seven days, was sparked by a drone strike on May 19 in the village of Hormuz, which reportedly killed four children from the same family and injured five others, including a woman. In response, local residents demanded justice and accountability, threatening a long march to Islamabad if their demands were not met.
Earlier this week, the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), issued a statement clarifying that security forces had been wrongly implicated in the incident. According to the ISPR, the operation was in fact carried out by the banned militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Following negotiations between protest leaders and government representatives, an agreement was reached on Monday night. The protesters confirmed the development to Human Online. As a result of the agreement, the bodies of the deceased children were laid to rest, road blockades were lifted, and local officials are expected to visit the affected families soon to announce compensation measures.
Speaking at the protest site, Jirga spokesperson Mufti Baitullah also announced the agreement in a video statement, praising the positive role played by the tribal elders during the negotiations.
District Police Officer Waqar Ahmed confirmed the agreement but declined to share its details. Similarly, Sher Bahadur, the local Tehsildar, said a four-point agreement had been reached but also refrained from disclosing specifics.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Yousuf Kareem told local media that detailed discussions were held with tribal elders, assuring them that both the government and military are committed to safeguarding civilian lives during counter-militancy operations.
Last week, local elders had warned of marching to Islamabad if their demands were ignored.
The situation now appears to be de-escalated, with normalcy gradually returning to the region.
