Locals in northwestern Pakistan mourning four young men gunned down by unidentified attackers the day before have protested against runaway violence and demanded an end to insecurity.
The latest victims, all in their mid- or late 20s, were members of the Youth of Waziristan organization, which campaigns for human rights, peace, and stability in the North Waziristan tribal district.
North Waziristan police chief Farhan Khan told RFE/RL that the four were targeted by gunmen on motorbikes in the Haidarkhel area of North Waziristan after they departed from the home of a friend.
He said their car was sprayed with AK-47 fire, killing all four on the spot.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid a declared cease-fire by the banned Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as part of ongoing peace talks with the government.
A member of the National Assembly from North Waziristan and the chief of the National Democratic Movement (NDM) party, Mohsid Dawar, condemned the killing and said that "armed men silenced four people who used to raise [a] voice for peace."
Dawar said such incidents were proof that peace talks with the TTP won't bear fruit and could have disastrous results for the people of the tribal areas.
Youth of Waziristan is based in the North Waziristan tribal district and has been critical of Pakistani security forces and armed groups in the area for alleged human rights violations, insecurity, and terrorism.
In August, unidentified gunmen assassinated the group's leader, Noor Islam Dawar. No one claimed responsibility for that killing.
