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Published 20 Feb, 2009 12:00am

KOHAT: Govt criticised for failure to stop Kurram bloodshed

KOHAT, Feb 19: The Parachinar Reforms Committee has criticised the government for its failure to stop what it called bloodshed in Kurram Agency.

The committee said that according to the peace accord, inked in Islamabad few months ago, if the political administration could not punish the aggressor by imposing a fine of Rs10 million for attacking the rival group, it would be considered a party.

“The administration is keeping mum over the atrocities committed in Parachinar and lost its writ but. No action has been taken against the aggressors for unknown reasons,” members of the committee said.

They added that all tribes and administration were bound to accept and enforce the agreement in letter and spirit and they needed to be made accountable.

Addressing a press conference here, members of the committee, Haji Sawab Khan, Attaullah, Aziz Mengal and Saiful Maluk said that local administration was confined to its offices so how could it protect the lives and properties of tribesmen.

They said that government was aware of the interference by outsiders in the area as they had provided proofs of foreign involvement to authorities but people at the helm were not taking the issue seriously.

They condemned the killing of people in the US drone attack on Sur Pul area and demanded closure of arms smuggling routes along the Afghan border.

They alleged that Afghan government and other anti-Pakistan elements were smuggling arms and money into the country to destabilise it, which must be stopped.

The terrorists were freely using Kharlachi, Mali Khel, Burki and Shaheedano Dhand points at the Afghan border for smuggling arms, they alleged.

They said that the US posed as champion of human rights and showed saving lives of dogs and cats in the documentaries but treated the tribesmen of Pakistan as worst than animals who were being killed under the cover of collateral damage in drone attacks.

“If the rulers have allowed the US to carry out drone attacks for getting dollars, we can arrange funds for them so that they can pluck up courage to say no to the US,” they added.

They demanded of the government to ban all sectarian organizations, arrest those people who were misusing wireless sets and release compensation to the affected families of Parachinar.

They also demanded arrest of those persons who were imparting training of bomb-making and blowing up houses.

Besides, they demanded collection of fine from the tribes involved in damaging religious places and burying their dead in the graveyards of rival sect.

BLAST: A police vehicle narrowly escaped when a remote controlled improvised explosive device wet off on Rawalpindi road near a CNG station on Thursday.

No casualty was reported as terrorists exploded the bomb seconds after the vehicle passed through it. The bomb disposal squad said that it was a four kilograms explosive device attached to a remote control.

Saddar police have registered a case and started investigations.

BAN ON WHEAT MOVEMENT: The district administration extended ban on the transportation of wheat and flour from Kohat by two months on Thursday.

District Coordination Officer Siraj Ahmed enforced section 144 in this regard and asked police and food department to challan the violators under section 188.

The decision was taken to ensure availability of the essential commodities in the market at controlled rates.

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