Mohsin Dawar, Ali Wazir behind military check post attack, NA panel told

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence was informed on Tuesday that a mob led by MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir attacked a military check post at Boya in North Waziristan tribal district.

Briefing the NA panel on the incident, the defence secretary said the check post was attacked from North Waziristan’s Doga village twice last month.

Subsequently, he added, security forces arrested two suspicious individuals in connection with the attacks.

As a result, a group of people associated with Mohsin Dawar staged a protest against the arrest of the two suspects on May 26, he said and added the protesters had agreed to call off their sit-in upon release of one of the two arrested men.

The defence secretary said Dawar and Ali Wazir called the protesters, restraining them from ending the sit-in. He said the two lawmakers reached the protest site and clashed with the security personnel guarding the check post.

He said stones were hurled first and then gunshots fired at the check post as a result of which five Pakistan Army soldiers got injured yet the servicemen exercised maximum restraint.

Earlier on Sunday, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said in a statement that a group led by Mohsin Javed and Ali Wazir assaulted Khar Qamar check post at Boyya in North Waziristan tribal district.

“They wanted to exert pressure for release of suspected terrorists’ facilitator arrested the other day. Troops at the check post exercised maximum restraint in the face of provocation and direct firing on the post,” the statement read.

Five army soldiers got injured in firing by the group. In the ensuing exchange of fire, three individuals who attacked the post lost their lives and 10 got injured.

All the injured were evacuated to Army Hospital for treatment. “Ali Wazir along with 8 individuals have been arrested while Mohsin Javed is at large after inciting the crowd.”