BANNU: The participants of the sit-in against the murder of four youth in Bannu have started a long march towards Islamabad along with the bodies of the youth.

The protesters are holding sit-in for the last eight days and they are refusing to bury the dead till justice is served. A delegation of provincial ministers has also immediately reached the protest venue to hold negotiations with the marchers to convince them to end the march and bury the dead.

Four youth from Janikhel area, aged between 13 and 18 years, had gone for hunting one month ago after which they went missing. Last week, their bodies were recovered from a ditch on the bank of a nullah. The Janikhel tribesmen have not buried the bodies and staging sit-in against the murders and conspiracies against creating lawlessness in the area.

The government has sent representatives several times to hold negotiations with protesters, but talks remained unsuccessful. A delegation of Ulema also met protesters on Saturday, but they also returned without success. The protesters are of the view that the government has not accepted all their demands that is why the protest continues.

The sit-in organisers had announced march towards Islamabad on Saturday and on Sunday morning they started march on the feet. A delegation of provincial ministers led by Transport Minister Shah Muhammad Wazir has reached Janikhel to hold negotiations with the protesters. Hasham Inamullah, Ziaullah Bangash and Kamran Bangash are also included in the committee.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Kamran Bangash said he was hopeful that the local elders will accept their request and bury the dead. He said the delegation has come to Janikhel with a clear message of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan that justice will be provided to victims at all costs.

Kamran Bangash said members of North Waziristan Grand Jirga, Marwat Jirga, Bangash Jirga are present in the area according to Pakhtun tribal traditions to offer Fateha for the deceased youth. He said the government is holding Jirgas and meeting for the last one week to convince the people to end the sit-in. He said the local Jirga and provincial government has already accepted demands of the sit-in participants.