KHAR: The political administration has set a five-day deadline to the elders of Salarzai tribe to hand over wanted militants in their area to the authorities.

Addressing a jirga here on Wednesday, Assistant Political Agent Sohail Ahmed Khan gave a list of 24 militants to Salarzai elders and asked them to hand over the wanted men to the political administration within five days.

Besides elders of various sub-tribes, members of Salarzai Peace Committees and senior officials of Bajaur Scouts attended the jirga.

The assistant political agent said that although Salarzai tribe rendered great sacrifices to curb militancy and restore peace in the region yet the elders failed to hand over wanted militants to the administration. He said that the administration was disappointed with the Salarzai tribesmen for not fulfilling their collective responsibility to hand over the militants to the authorities.

Official says houses of wanted men will be destroyed after expiry of deadline

“We are very concerned over the poor performance of the elders of Salarzai tribe,” Mr Khan said and added that the elders were not taking practical steps to hand over the militants, wanted by the administration for their involvement in various terrorist activities, to the authorities. He said the elders of the area should realise the situation and cooperate with the administration to flush out militants from the region.

The official also announced the names of 24 wanted militants at the jirga and handed over the list to the elders of Salarzai tribe.

Speaking on the occasion, tribal elders Malik Mohammad Younas Khan, Malik Nazimud Din Khan, Malik Abdul Nasar Khan and Malik Mohammad Jan said that they were making efforts to hand over the wanted militants to the administration. However, they said, most of the wanted men left their homes and probably shifted to Kunar province of Afghanistan.

“We are trying our level best to trace their location. According to our information, majority of the wanted militants have gone to Afghanistan,” the elders said. They said that militant activities were reduced in almost all areas of the region.

“We are struggling against the enemies of our land and no one will be allowed to disturb peace and normalcy in the region,” they added.

An official told Dawn that houses of the wanted militants would be destroyed after expiry of the deadline.

BLAST: One person was killed and two others were wounded seriously in a landmine blast in Barang tehisl of Bajaur Agency on Wednesday.

Officials said that the incident took place in the mountainous area of Asil Targaoo in Barang teshil. They said that the mine was planted outside the main gate of a tribesman Malik Musali Khan.

The family members of Musali Khan were passing through the area when the landmine exploded, killing one person on the spot and wounding two others, the officials said.

The injured identified as Aziz Khan and Imran Khan were rushed to a hospital for treatment. The deceased was identified as Luqman.

“We have launched inquiry into the blast but according to initial report the incident can be result of a personal dispute,” an official said.

Meanwhile, a pro- government tribal elder was wounded when unidentified gunmen opened firing on him in Salarzai area of Bajaur Agency on Wednesday evening.

Officials said that Malik Fadeen Khan was on way home from a nearby market in Badna area when unidentified armed men opened firing on him. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to agency headquarters hospital in Khar from where he was shifted to Peshawar in critical condition.

MEDICAL CAMP: The security forces organised a free medical camp in Raghan area of Bajaur Agency.

More than 3,000 people, majority of them women and children, were provided with free treatment and medicines at the medical camp. A number of children belonging to different remote and far-flung areas were also vaccinated against polio during the daylong activity.

On the occasion, Bajaur Scouts medical unit head Caption Dr Mohammad Usman told journalists that the free medical camp was held on the special directives of inspector general of Frontier Corps to provide medical facilities to the people of far-flung areas.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2015

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