KOHAT: Speakers at ‘Milli Yakjehti Conference’ from Kurram Agency on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for not visiting Parachinar following the twin bomb blasts, saying he had no sympathies with the people of the tribal agency.

The conference was attended by the ulema and elders, including Syed Talwat Hussain, Syed Kabir Hussain, Haji Swab Gul, Syed Ahmed Abbas and Syed Mohammad Taqi Sherazi.

They lauded Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa for his visit and meeting with the elders. They emphasised that they all stood by the Pakistan Army in its endeavours for peace.

They said that Mr Sharif had never come to Kurram Agency in his entire political carrier despite several blasts. They said that it showed that he had no sympathies with the tribesmen of Kurram Agency.

Addressing a press conference at Kohat Press Club, Allama Taqi Sherazi said that they were thankful to the army chief for comforting their wounds after the twin blasts. He said that in the recent terrorism RAW and anti-Pakistan elements were involved to fan Shia-Sunni differences.

He clarified that their sit-in was against politicians, which was visible from the difference between compensation amount for the oil tanker victims and that of Kurram Agency. He said that the government was hiding the actual figure of deaths and terming it 71, but it was higher than that.

Allama Ahmed Abbas criticised the role of political parties, particularly Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who announced Rs2 million for each of the victims of oil tanker incident the same day, but it took him one week to respond to the blasts in Parachinar.

He said that it was an open truth that RAW was involved in terrorism activities in the country and it had consulates along Afghan border whose only function was to destabilise Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2017