Hundreds of policemen in northwestern Pakistan were blocking the Indus Highway that links Peshawar with the port city of Karachi on September 9 to protest alleged interference by Pakistan’s military and its intelligence agencies in their daily work.
Senior officials of the local administration in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province were engaged in talks with the protesting policemen to try to resolve the standoff.
Lakki Marwat is located on the periphery with the restive tribal region that borders Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters frequently target policemen and police stations.
The protesting policemen accused the intelligence agencies Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of interfering in their work.
Addressing the gathering, police officer Rashid Khan said the army should leave the district and let the police department work freely.
“We promise that we would restore peace in the area within three months” if the military officers stopped interference, he said.
Criticism of the Pakistani military and especially its powerful ISI have long been considered a red line by some elements in the country.
