KOHAT, April 29 The Taliban on Wednesday night demolished 11 houses of the Sikh community in the Orakzai Agency for refusing to pay 'Jazia'.

The action was ordered by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief for Orakzai Agency, Hakeemullah Mehsud, after the deadline given to the Sikh community for payment of Jazia passed on Wednesday.

Earlier, the Sikh community had postponed its decision about vacating the area following the demand of the Tehrik-i-Taliban for payment of 'Jazia' being non-Muslims for their protection.

They gathered in the Merozai area to finalise their decision for leaving the area, but a dispute erupted over the issue among them and the meeting was postponed till Thursday.

The Taliban had asked the Sikh community living in the tribal area for centuries earlier this month to pay annual Jazia because “Sharia had been enforced in the area and every non-Muslim had to pay protection money”.

The Sikh community comprising 30 to 35 families shifted from the Feroze Khel area to the nearby Merozai in Lower Orakzai Agency because they could not arrange Rs150 million demanded by the Taliban.

The Taliban had forcibly occupied shops of two Sikh businessmen, Sewa Singh and Kalak Singh, and houses of several Sikhs to force them to pay Jazia. Later, the Sikh community refused to pay Jazia and decided to leave Orakzai and settle in some other area.

Most of tribal families belonging to a particular sect have also migrated to different parts of Hangu and Kohat due to the fear of Taliban.

ELDER KILLED Motorcyclists shot dead a prominent tribal elder in the Turkey Ismail area of the Frontier Region of Kohat on Wednesday night. Official sources said Malik Sher Rehman was going home when he was attacked.

The tribal elder was a supporter of peace initiatives and was playing an active role in restoration of government's writ in the area.

Sources said militants could be behind the murder. However, nobody has accepted responsibility for the incident.

SMUGGLING FOILED The Janglekhel police foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Darra Adamkhel to Punjab and arrested a member of an inter-provincial gang of smugglers on the Indus Highway here on Wednesday.

Police said the SHO of the Janglekhel police station stopped a car on a tip-off and on searching its secret cavities recovered the weapons. The seizure included two Kalashnikovs, three rifles, four repeaters, six pistols, 34 chargers and 800 cartridges. The accused, Mohammad Hayat of Lakki Marwat, was arrested.

INFORMATION EXCHANGE Authorities here have stressed exchange of intelligence information for curbing militancy.

A meeting was held at the DCO house on Wednesday to chalk out a joint strategy for protection of the people of the district in the wake of militants' activities.

Besides DCO Siraj Ahmed, police and military officials attended the meeting and reviewed the security situation in the district.

Operational preparedness of the armed forces and the ongoing crackdown on militants in the Frontier Region of Kohat also came under discussion. The participants expressed satisfaction over the operation being carried out against militants in Darra Adamkhel.

The participants agreed that the army and police would share intelligence information for joint action against outlaws.

The DCO said all available resources would be utilised to provide security to the people of the area. He also sought people's cooperation in curbing crimes and militancy in the area and expressed the hope that local elders would extend their help to the administration in this regard.

ROAD BLOCKED Transporters blocked the Indus Highway here on Wednesday against collection of tax at the newly-established toll plaza by the NHA.

Talking to the protesters, Khattak Loya Jirga president Sabir Yaqoob demanded that local transporters should be exempted from the toll tax.

They kept the road blocked for more than half hour, which forced the administration and police to hold negotiations with them.

They dispersed peacefully after getting an assurance that the matter would be raised at the highest level.

The protesters, however, announced that they would not pay tax at the toll plaza unless negotiations started with the authorities concerned. They said they would continue their protest if their demand was not met.