Pakistan jirga sets deadline for recovery of missing uranium miners

Ten days after the abduction of nine Atomic Energy Commission employees in Pakistan’s northwestern Lakki Marwat district, their fate remains unknown. The employees were kidnapped on January 9 when unidentified gunmen attacked a vehicle transporting workers to the Qabul Khel Uranium Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

While security forces rescued eight of the 17 abducted employees the same day, the whereabouts of the remaining nine are still untraced.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the abduction in three video releases. In the footage, the abducted workers plead with the government to meet the captors’ demands, including the release of TTP members detained during military operations.

Families demand immediate action

The families of the missing workers, supported by the local community, organized a grand jirga on Monday at the School Ground in Dalokhel. During the gathering, the jirga issued a two-day ultimatum to the authorities for the safe recovery of the abductees.

"If the authorities fail to act, we will initiate a sit-in, shut down the Qabul Khel Uranium Plant, and cut gas supplies to Punjab," the jirga declared.

The assailants set the vehicle on fire and took the laborers into a nearby forest.Nukta

Deputy Commissioner of Lakki Marwat, Zeeshan Abdullah, assured that the administration, security forces, and jirga members are working together to secure the workers' release. “We are doing everything possible to ensure their safe recovery soon,” he told Nukta.

Release of suspects amid tensions

In a related development, 22 detainees from an internment center in Lakki Marwat were released after completing a deradicalization program. According to Deputy Commissioner Abdullah, these individuals were initially detained on suspicion but were cleared after an investigation.

“These individuals had spent between three months and five years in custody. They were released after being found innocent of any wrongdoing,” said Johar Muhammad, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly member.

Some of the released detainees were reportedly accused of having relatives linked to the TTP. Muhammad clarified that their release was unrelated to the demands of the TTP in the current abduction case.

Brigadier Ali Anjum Saeed, Brigade Commander of Lakki Marwat, addressed the handover ceremony, highlighting that the released individuals had been trained in skills like tailoring and mechanics at the Army's technical centers. “They have the potential to become valuable members of society, but community elders must support and guide them with care and encouragement,” he said.

Internment centers under scrutiny

The issue has renewed focus on Pakistan’s internment centers, where thousands of individuals are held under the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation 2011, which continues under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Continuation of Laws Act, 2018.

Supreme Court advocate Shabir Hussain Gigyani criticized the centers, describing them as unconstitutional. “Suspects are detained on mere suspicion and held for years without trial or evidence. If someone is accused of terrorism, they should be charged and tried in court,” he told Nukta.

Gigyani pointed out that there are 26 notified internment centers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with over 6,000 detainees, but alleged that many unnotified centers also exist.

Rising concerns

As the deadline set by the jirga approaches, tensions in Lakki Marwat continue to rise. Families of the abductees await action while the threat of protests looms. The incident has not only underscored the security challenges in the region but also drawn attention to longstanding issues surrounding detention practices and human rights.

For now, the fate of the missing workers hangs in the balance as their families hope for a resolution.