Mass Protest Rally in Duki Against Afghan Deportations, Mines Act, and Rising Terrorism

Duki – In continuation of the ongoing protest movement led by pro-democracy and nationalist parties, a large public rally was held in Duki Bazaar under the chairmanship of Awami National Party’s district president, Haji Izzat Nasir. Before the rally, a protest march was organized through the main market where participants chanted powerful slogans such as “No to Afghan Deportation,” “Reject Mines and Minerals Act,” and “No to Terrorism.”
The rally was addressed by provincial deputy secretaries of Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party (PNAP) Nemat Khan Jalalzai and Professor Asad Tareen, Awami National Party’s Walidad Miani and Haji Izzat Nasir, National Democratic Movement’s Advocate Sharif Kakar and Hayat Khan Hayat, PTM’s Rozi Khan Isaar, and Comrade Ismat. Resolutions were presented by PNAP’s Deputy Secretary Salam Nasir, while Wazir Khan Nasir served as stage secretary. The gathering opened with a Quran recitation by Jafar Khan.
Speakers condemned the Pakistani government and its institutions — especially the police, levies, and local administration — for what they described as inhumane and humiliating actions against Afghan Kidwaal refugees under the pretext of deportation. These included illegal arrests, property seizures, and bribery, which the speakers labeled as anti-Afghan and violations of human dignity.
They urged the United Nations, UNHCR, Amnesty International, and other global human rights organizations to pressure the Pakistani government to honor the tripartite agreement between UNHCR, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and to protect Afghan refugees’ rights under the Geneva Conventions.
The speakers rejected the recent Mineral Investment Forum held in Islamabad, calling it unconstitutional and illegal. They stated that under the Pakistani Constitution, provinces have full authority over their natural resources. They rejected the role of the SIFC (Special Investment Facilitation Council), a body formed by the establishment, in managing resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, calling it an act of plunder.
The approval of the Mines and Minerals Act by the Balochistan Assembly on March 12, 2025, and a similar bill introduced by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government were deemed betrayals of the Pashtun and Baloch nations. The speakers demanded that the people of these regions be granted full ownership and decision-making rights over their natural resources.
The rally also expressed grave concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Duki, highlighting the surge in kidnappings for ransom, terrorism, and street crimes. The ongoing disappearance of Hafiz Ullah Dad Luni for over three months, and the increase in robberies, mobile snatchings, and arrests of coal workers, were condemned. The case of nine-year-old Masoor Khan Kakar, missing for over five months, was cited as a failure of the provincial government and law enforcement agencies.
Speakers also condemned the continued disappearance of PTM leader Ali Wazir, Khyber Jirga host Malik Naseer Khan Kokikhel, Sammad Lala, and others. The rally denounced the ban on PTM and the placement of hundreds of its leaders and activists on the Fourth Schedule. The demand was made for the immediate release of all detained political workers and the removal of their names from the Fourth Schedule.