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

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BAJAUR, Aug 8: The Political Agent of Bajaur Agency, Pirzada Khan, has said the joint operation launched by the tribesmen and the political administration against the anti-social and criminal elements in the tribal territory has had positive results on the law and order situation.

Giving a press briefing at his office on Wednesday, he said 56 outlaws wanted in various heinous crimes had been arrested during the operation in the Mamond valley.

He criticized the western media, and said there were neither any Taliban or Al Qaeda men hiding in the agency, nor the patriotic tribesmen could think of providing shelter to the suspects.

Pirzada said the law and order situation, which had deteriorated due to the presence of a few criminals in the agency, had improved to a greater extent as a result of the clean-up operation launched in collaboration with the tribesmen.

Many tribesmen had lost their lives either in the anti-personnel landmines blasts or in firing incidents in the agency in the past, he observed.