Pakistan tribal council threatens highway block over girl’s murder

ISLAMABAD: A tribal jirga (council of elders) in Pakistan’s Tank district has threatened to block a stretch of Indus Highway on July 29 after the killing of a nine-year-old girl sparked public outrage. Convened in Tank’s Gul Imam on Saturday, the jirga issued an 11-point charter of demands, warning of a full blockade if authorities fail to respond.

Indus Highway (N-55) is a critical national artery that runs along the river, connecting Karachi in Pakistan’s south with Peshawar in the north and cutting through multiple provinces. The planned blockade at Pezu will impact trade routes, passenger transport, and military convoys.


The protests gained momentum after a viral video showed residents confronting armed security personnel -- an extraordinary act in this militarised stretch of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The footage amplified long-standing anger over arbitrary detentions, raids without warrants, and what locals call collective punishment disguised as counterterrorism.

“Our decision to block the highway remains. If our demands are accepted, we’ll reconsider. If not, Pezu will be shut down on July 29,” jirga leader Abdul Qayum Kundi said.

Police have registered a case in the girl’s death, but authorities have yet to disclose any findings. Locals allege misconduct or negligence by security forces—claims that remain unverified but widely believed within the community.

In a bid to defuse tensions, local officials delivered three sheep and (Pak) Rs 2.5 million (around $9,000) to the girl’s family -- an act rooted in tribal custom, meant to symbolise remorse and reconciliation. But jirga members view it as a token gesture. “This is hush money in ceremonial form,” said one elder.

The jirga’s demands include the release of detainees not proven to have militant ties, an end to forced house searches, and a halt to arrests of suspects’ relatives. They also call for the return of confiscated weapons and an end to detentions based on vague accusations of mukhbiri (spying).

The jirga’s demands echo those of the banned Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), which for years challenged Pakistan’s security policies in its tribal belt.