Noor Islam Dawar

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Noor Islam Dawar
نور اسلام داوړ
Born
Mulagan, Mirali, North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan[1]
Died(2021-08-27)August 27, 2021
Mirali, North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan[2]
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
OccupationHuman rights activist
OrganizationYouth of Waziristan[1]
MovementPashtun Tahafuz Movement
Children5[3]

Noor Islam Dawar (Pashto: نور اسلام داوړ; Urdu: نور اسلام داوڑ) was a human rights activist in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). He was the chairman of a civil society organization, Youth of Waziristan.[2][4]

On 27 August 2021, as he was on his way home from Mirali Bazaar, he was assassinated in a targeted killing.[1]

Political activism[]

In 2014, he founded the Youth of Waziristan, which protests against insecurity, targeted killings, and lack of basic amenities in the region of Waziristan.[5][2][6] In the wake of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, during which many inhabitants of North Waziristan were forced to flee their homes in June 2014 and live at IDP camps in Bannu and other districts, he campaigned for the return of the refugees to their homes and organized several protest gatherings against human rights abuses in the region. During one of the protest sit-ins at Mirali Chowk (now known as Shaheed Noor Islam Chowk after himself), Noor Islam and his friends were picked up by the Pakistani security agencies for a few days, and were forced to end the protest. After he was released, he was found to have several torture marks on his body and multiple fractures to his head.[3]

He was also an activist in the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and participated in its protests and gatherings.[7][5]

Assassination[]

On the evening of 27 August 2021 at around 6 p.m. (PST, UTC+05:00),[8] when he was on his way home from Mirali Bazaar, he was attacked by gunmen in the Inzerabad area of Hasukhel, Mirali in North Waziristan.[2][9] He was shot four times, after which he was rushed to Mirali Hospital for emergency treatment, where he succumbed to his wounds. The gunmen, who were riding a Fielder car and a motorcycle, escaped the site after the attack.[8][10][1][11]

Responsibility[]

No one claimed responsibility for the murder, nor did the government charge or arrest anyone. On 27 August, the North Waziristan police chief, Shafiullah Gandapur, stated that a case had been registered against unknown individuals and that an investigation about the targeted killing was under way.[12]

Funeral[]

His funeral was held at his native village, Mulagan, on 28 August 2021.[13]

Reactions[]

The murder caused widespread panic among the locals, who demanded the government of Pakistan improve the law and order situation in the area.[10] On 30 August, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement and members of the Youth of Waziristan protested against the killing in Mirali, and demanded the government to punish the murderers. Manzoor Pashteen, the leader of PTM, told the protest rally that they wanted peace but their comrades were being killed because of it.[12] Mohsin Dawar, another leader of PTM and the chairman of the National Democratic Movement, said that "Noor Islam was the first person to protest against targeted killings in the area, but unfortunately he was himself killed."[5] In an opinion article for The Diplomat, Mohsin wrote that Noor Islam became "the first active political worker with a profile to match to be killed in a targeted attack since Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the 2014 government military offensive against militant outfits."[9]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Waziristan youth leader targetted, killed". The News International. August 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d TNN, Correspondent (August 28, 2021). "Youth of Waziristan founder shot dead". Tribal News Network.
  3. ^ a b Dawar, Nasir (October 19, 2021). "نوراسلام داوڑ ایک سوچ کا نام بن گیا تھا، جو امن کے قیام کیلئے ملک کے آئین کو بالائے طاق رک کر لڑتے لڑتے شہید ہوگیا". The Khyber Times (in Urdu).
  4. ^ Khan, Ghulam Qadir (January 29, 2019). "Unrest in Khaisor". DAWN.COM.
  5. ^ a b c "د وزیرستان ځوانانو تنظیم مشر نور اسلام داوړ مړی خاورو ته وسپارل شو". Mashaal Radio (in Pashto).
  6. ^ "Tribal elders stage sit-in against arrests in North Waziristan". Sayhoon News. January 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "The Pashtuns' Year of Living Dangerously". The American Interest. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  8. ^ a b "نور اسلام داوڑ: یوتھ آف وزیرستان کے بانی کی 'ٹارگٹ کلنگ'". Daily Urdu (in Urdu). August 28, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Pakistan's Shameful Glee at the Taliban's Rise". The Diplomat. September 17, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Nasruminllah (August 29, 2021). "Rights activist gunned down in N Waziristan". The Express Tribune.
  11. ^ "شمالي وزيرستان: د يوت اف وزيرستان مشر نور اسلام داوړ نامالومو وسله والو په ډزو وژلی". VOA Deewa News (in Pashto).
  12. ^ a b "شمالي وزيرستان: د نور اسلام داوړ د وژنې پر ضد احتجاج شوی". Mashaal Radio (in Pashto).
  13. ^ "'اب مقتول سماجی کارکن نور اسلام انصاف کا منتظر رہے گا'". Independent Urdu (in Urdu). August 28, 2021.
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