South Waziristan market demolished as punishment for army officer's killing

Dera Ismail Khan [Pakistan], Nov. 6 (ANI): Officials and local residents have confirmed that a market in Rustam Bazaar of South Waziristan has been dynamited by local authorities on Friday as punishment for an explosion that killed an army officer and injured many others earlier this week. The political agent in South Waziristan Agency, Zafarul Islam Khattak, said the action was taken under the collective and territorial responsibility clauses of the Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) Act, reports the Dawn. The bazaar was identified by officials as Al-Muhib Market, where an army officer, Major Imran was killed and 10 others were wounded in an explosion during a search operation. Local authorities have imposed a curfew and forced over 6,000 shops to shut down following the incident. The market's owner, Ali Wazir, has claimed to have suffered huge losses due to the demolition. He said explosions take across the country, but nowhere do markets get dynamited as punishment. Local sources said the Rustam Bazaar was currently under the control of security forces. Efforts by local elders to resolve the issue through the Jirga failed to produce any result. (ANI)