August 9, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 29,1423

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HANGU, Aug 8: Two religious scholars were kidnapped on Thursday by some unidentified men in the Khadizai area of Orakzai Agency.

The victims were returning from the Mamonzai area of the agency where they had gone to settle a religious row between the workers of Ahle Hadith and Jamiat Ashaat-o-Tauheed.

The scholars were identified as Maulana Abdul Aziz Nooristani, an Afghan national, who presently lives in Peshawar, and Maulana Mohammad Waris Alisherzai.

The political administration has stepped up efforts to ensure the early and unconditional recovery of the kidnapped scholars.

OPERATION CONTINUES: The joint operation, launched by the administration of Orakzai Agency and the Hangu police against the alleged kidnappers belonging to the Rabiakhel tribe of the agency, still continues.  

The operation was launched after three persons had been kidnapped and whisked away to the Samana mountains allegedly by the people of Rabiakhel.

The law enforcement agencies have arrested scores of people of the tribe and sealed a number of their shops in Hangu to force them to hand over the kidnappers to the administration.

The tribesmen have taken exception to the arrests and sealing of their shops, and demanded of the government to immediately call off this operation.