By The South Asia Times


DIR LOWER - Pakistani militants threatened a young Pakistani cricket player following his speech in support of peace in the Dir area of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering with Afghanistan.

Babar Khan, a well-known cricket player from Mayar area of Dir Lower, on Sunday, urged the local people to raise their voices to establish peace in their area.

Khan was speaking at a gathering at Mayar cricket ground after the final match between Mayaro and Samar Bagh, that won by Mayar with four-wicket.

Khan is also a well-reputed journalist in the area and always spoke against ongoing militancy in the region, criticizing terrorists for killing innocent people.

Khan said young generation should raise their voice for peace as without peace this country could not move forward.

“Pakistan is a lovely country but a small group of terrorists defamed it across the world,” Khan said.

“These terrorists are not human as they are killing innocent people and even school children.”

Khan urged the young players to focus on their studies and make Pakistan a peaceful country in the region.

However, a day after a local commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of Pakistani militants, Zia Urehman threatened Khan to kill him over his speech in support of peace.

“It was midnight when some armed people came to our home and asked my elder brother where is Babar Khan, I was not at home at that time and they told my brother that we would kill him as he spoke against us in a cricket gathering,” Khan told The South Asia Times over phone.

Since 2009, TTP militants have killed dozens of influential elders and young people due to their public statements against the brutalities of militants in the Malakand Division.

Militants also targeted hundreds of schools in the area as they are against girls' education while also killing over 100 policemen and dozens of polio workers during an anti-polio campaign in the region during the last several years.

“Now I am not going to home as moved to another city because my life is not safe in Dir Lower,” Khan said.

He added that even police have refused to register his complaint against terrorist Ziaurehman who threatened him.

“How we can live in this area as even police are afraid to register my complaint against a terrorist who is living in the area,” Khan lamented.