Police in the Lakki Marwat district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province have ended a days-long protest against the surge in militant attacks and targeted killings of police officers after reaching an agreement with the army.
The military reportedly agreed to withdraw its presence from checkpoints in villages and city centers of the troubled region.
The protest began on Monday when the police launched a sit-in and blocked the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway, halting all vehicular traffic. The sit-in lasted for nearly four days and concluded late Thursday after negotiations between the police and the district administration, facilitated by elders of the Marwat tribe.
“Within six days, the Pakistan Army will leave Lakki Marwat. The police must be empowered with armored vehicles and other resources,” a district police spokesperson was quoted as saying in Arab News. The spokesperson also emphasized the need to eliminate external interference in police matters, ensure proper care for injured officers, and guarantee that no disciplinary action would be taken against those involved in the protest.
The statement warned that the police would resume their protest if the agreement was not honored.
The Pakistan army has maintained a strong presence across KP, where it has been engaged in fighting militants for nearly two decades.
