KOHAT, July 6 The Kohat prison authorities called in additional force to control the situation when 'Taliban' inmates resorted to protest against the arrest of their colleague from the jail mosque on Monday.

The inmates, who had been arrested by police suspecting them to be Taliban, staged protest for more than two hours and broke taps and pipes.

Official sources said the suspected Taliban, arrested during operations in tribal and settled areas and imprisoned in the Kohat district prison, slapped and kicked a drug seller, injuring him. The victim complained to the staff after which police took action and arrested a Taliban inmate inside the mosque.

This infuriated the Taliban who gathered in large numbers holding sticks and accusing police of desecrating the mosque by arresting a man inside the mosque. The protesters demanded that the jail authorities should stop “selling of hashish, sleeping pills and use of mobile phones by some influential prisoners in connivance with wardens”.

District Police Officer Dilawar Khan Bangash and Assistant Coordination Officer Shabbir Mohammad reached the prison along with a huge contingent of police to control the situation.

The matter was settled between the Taliban and the jail administration following detailed search of the belongings and barracks of the prisoners allegedly involved in the illegal business. Nothing was recovered from them.

Later, the administration decided to send four 'notorious' Taliban who had created all the mess to the Deral Ismail Khan central jail.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident to review the behaviour of the jail staff with prisoners.

SEVEN HELD Security forces arrested seven suspected militants in different parts of Darra Adamkhel on Monday.

Officials said during routine checking of vehicles near the Kohat Friendship Tunnel, the forces arrested two suspicious passengers from a Bannu bound coach.

Similarly, during a search operation in the Sheraki area, two tribesmen belonging to Darra Adamkhel and three of Waziristan, believed to be militants, were held and taken to the special investigation cell.

ANP LEADERS Office-bearers of the Awami National Party from the PF-39 constituency on Monday warned to resign in protest against party's provincial president Afrasyab Khattak for ignoring their area in allocation of development funds. The warning came at a meeting presided over by the president of ANP from the PF-39 constituency, Saud Ahmed Shah.

The officer-bearers alleged that Mr Khattak was awarding contracts of development works to his family members and blue-eyed people so he could get commission and was ignoring Lachi Town, Shakardarra Town and other far-flung and undeveloped areas.

They threatened that if the provincial president did not arrange their meeting with Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti within 14 days they would resign en bloc along with party workers.

The meeting, which was attended by local party secretary general Fazal Hussain, Rasheed from Shakardarra, Liaquat Hussian, Nisar and other leaders, also demanded resignation of district party president Inayatullah Qureshi for his alleged inability to run the party affairs.