DG ISPR denies giving Miramshah protesters assurances to court-martial army personnel

Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on Sunday rejected a media report claiming that the armed forces had assured protesters in North Waziristan tribal district that the army personnel responsible for the alleged killing of a man would be court-martialed.

On Friday, during the protest against the arrests made in connection with a remote-controlled bomb blast a day earlier, security forced had allegedly opened fire, killing one and injuring 10 others.

The death had sparked a sit-in in Miramshah, which, according to newly elected MNA from North Waziristan Mohsin Dawar, was called off after their demands were accepted.

According to VOA (Voice of America) DEEWA, one of the demands of the protesters was to court martial "Captain Zarar, who allegedly killed a boy during a protest".

However, the DG ISPR contested that claim on Twitter hours later, saying that "while an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain facts, no assurance given for any court martial."

Maj Gen Ghafoor denied that the forces had killed or injured anyone, and accused the media outlet of keeping up "its tradition of false reporting.

"People of Waziristan are peace loving and value the attained peace."

Dawar responded to the DG ISPR's tweet by saying: "And you are keeping your tradition of backtracking. Our one precondition for beginning talks was an admission of guilt from your side, regarding the martyrdom of innocent protestors. We only began talks AFTER we were given that admission of guilt."