KARACHI: Thousands of Pakistani tribesmen yesterday protested the killing of warlord Mullah Nazir and hoisted black flags to mark his death, officials said.
They also condemned US drone strikes and demanded Islamabad summon the ambassador and lodge a protest over the militant commander’s killing this week. “All shops were closed in Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan tribal district,” Amir Nawaz, a local administration official, said.
Nazir, killed late on Wednesday in a drone strike, was the main militant leader in the tribal district of South Waziristan, where he plotted attacks on US and Nato troops and reportedly sheltered Al Qaeda operatives.
“More than 3,000 tribesmen, carrying black flags, marched towards Azam Warsak, around 7km west of Wana, and passed a resolution against the US,” Nawaz said.
A security official said the resolution termed Nazir’s killing as an effort to destroy peace in the region. “Mullah Nazir was not a terrorist, he was a patriot Pakistani fighting a war for independence,” it said, adding that Pakistan must protest the killing and work to end drone strikes.
The protesters, belonging to Wazir and Sulemankhel tribes, vowed to continue Nazir’s mission, saying his killing would not bring an end to the conflict.
AFP
