A large number of police personnel have been staging a sit-in at Indus Highway for the past three days in response to recent terrorist attacks targeting police officers. There is growing speculation on social media that this protest is against the Pakistan Army, with protesters accusing the military of being responsible for the attacks on police in the region.
According to Tribal News Network (TNN), the primary demand of the protesting officers is the withdrawal of the Pakistan Army from the Lakki Marwat district. Despite the gravity of the situation, mainstream Pakistani media has largely remained silent on the issue.
The RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal reported taht the protesting policemen accused the intelligence agencies Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of interfering in their work.
The sit-in, which is taking place at Tajazai Chowk in Lakki Marwat, has caused the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway to remain closed to all traffic. Demonstrating police officers have been holding their Isha and Fajr prayers on the road.
Negotiations held late last night between the protesting officers and key officials—including District Police Officer (DPO) Lakki Marwat Taimur Khan, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Bannu Imran Shahid, DPO Bannu Zia-ud-Din Ahmed, and Deputy Commissioner Lakki Marwat Fahad Wazir—failed to produce a resolution.
The highway blockade has led to long vehicle queues and significant disruptions for travelers, with thousands of passengers forced to spend the night on the road.
Protesters have indicated that additional police personnel from neighboring districts, including Karak, Bannu, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan, will join the sit-in today. In response to the stalled negotiations with the RPO Bannu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other senior security officials are expected to arrive in Lakki Marwat today to engage in further discussions with the protesters.
