Wana market dynamited as punishment for army major's killing

[Shapur]

Local authorities on Friday dynamited a market in Rustam Bazaar of South Waziristan’s headquarters Wana under local laws as a punishment for an explosion which killed an army officer and injured many others earlier this week, officials and local residents confirmed.

Political Agent in South Waziristan Agency Zafarul Islam Khattak told Dawn that the action was taken under the collective and territorial responsibility clauses of the Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR).

Officials identified the bazaar as Al-Muhib Market, where an army officer, Maj Imran, was killed and 10 others injured in an explosion during a search operation.

Following the incident, the local authorities imposed a curfew on the Wana Bazaar, forcing more than 6,000 shops to close down.

The market owner, Ali Wazir, said that they had suffered huge losses due to the demolition of the two-storey market. He argued that while explosions took place all over the country, nowhere were markets dynamited as a punishment.

Local sources said the Wana Bazaar was currently under the control of security forces and efforts by local elders to resolve the issue through Jirga had failed to produce any result.

Wana market dynamited as punishment for major’s killing - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

[Shapur]

So they are punishing innocent civilians for the actions of few terrorists, Pakistani authorities are using draconian FCR laws inherited from the Brits and treating Tribals like second class citizens. Would they dare do this in Lahore or Karachi?

[Samandri]

So they are punishing innocent civilians for the actions of few terrorists, Pakistani authorities are using draconian FCR laws inherited from the Brits and treating Tribals like second class citizens. Would they dare do this in Lahore or Karachi?

Surprisingly majority of the tribals are Ok with FCR, in my observation...........the ones who are making noises against FCR, are Pashtuns nationalists of ANP and others from settled areas, or few tribals who live abroad......i saw a Mahsud badly beating a Charsada-wal , when the latter called former a salve for not opposing FCR.........tribals do not protest against the concept of collective punishment , perhaps they have become accustomed to a century old FCR. But in my opinion British devised this law very cleverly....its based on the general psyche and nature of Pashtuns, they live as cohesive units , clans and feel responsible for actions of their clansmen.....for example , if woman is dishonored by a man from another tribe, all the clansmen of the woman's tribe feel the collective responsibility of avenging the insult.

Pakistani army is subjecting tribals to these punishments ever since 2004 or some time before.......only their presence in the area is strongly resented , not the FCR law getting implemented by political agents like "Zafarul Islam Khattak".....