UPPER DIR, Jan 9: The army on Wednesday extended the deadline for the local residents to surrender heavy weapons to Jan 14 at the request of the elders.

The deadline set on Dec 18, 2012 had ended in the day.

The locals handed over such arms to security forces in Hatan Darra and Wari areas after being persuaded by their elders. The weapons surrendered included rocket propelled grenades.

Local elders Malik Bahram Khan, Malik Sher Bahadar Khan, Haji Azizul Haq and Malik Dogram were also in attendance.

By and large, Upper Dir, part of Malakand division, has been peaceful and even it remained undisturbed by militancy in the division.

However, Swat Taliban, who have sanctuaries in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, carried out attacks against different villages of the district in 2011 and 2012, killings dozens of law-enforcement personnel and civilians.

Thereafter, the government sent troops to Upper Dir to counter such attacks.

Speaking to the people and local elders on Wednesday, Maj Owais said there was no justification for the people to keep heavy weapons with them.

He said the army had asked the people through jirgas to surrender heavy weapons otherwise legal action would be initiated against them.

In earlier jirgas, the army officials had said the people could keep light weapons, including Kalashnikovs, for own protection and that only heavy arms would be collected from them.

The officials had said heavy weapons could fall into wrong hands.

Last year, the people had voluntarily surrendered heavy weapons to the army after a deadline was set to them.