July 30, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 29, 1424

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PESHAWAR, July 29: Political authorities in the Kurram Agency requested for additional troops as a tense Parachinar remained under curfew on Tuesday following riots sparked by the killing of a vehicle driver by the local security force.

Witnesses told Dawn that law enforcement agencies supported by armed personnel carriers were patrolling the streets and forces had taken positions at all sensitive points of the town to avert further trouble. Local people have been told not to violate curfew.

A senior official in the provincial government said paramilitary forces had restored the law and order situation in the town lies near Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The official said curfew in Parachinar was still in place and the political authorities had arrested many people in connection with Monday’s riots.

He said the administration had engaged a tribal jirga, comprising area elders to restore normalcy in the border town. However, the government did not order immediate inquiry into the incident which sparked clashes, the official said.

Sources in Parachinar said paramilitary forces had detained a number of tribesmen, most of them belonged to the Turi tribe. Power supply to the town was restored on Monday night.

An official source said an army unit had been put on standby to help the administration.

The administration has also sealed all roads leading to Parachinar town and paramilitary forces have established checkpoints on Tall-Parachinar road.

A large number of vehicles were waiting at Chapari checkpoint, the entry point of Kurram Agency as traffic could not proceed to the town due to curfew.