08 February 2004	Sunday	16 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Feb 7: The administration in Frontier Region Bannu set a deadline of 48 hours on Friday to the Bakakhel tribe for surrendering five persons allegedly involved in the kidnapping of the Punjab Minister for Sports and Culture, Naeemullah Shahani, and other three persons.

The authorities have asked the elders of the Bakakhel tribe to hand over the five accused and the missing vehicle within the deadline failing which action would be taken against the entire tribe.

An official told Dawn on telephone that the administration had already invoked section 21 of the 1901's Frontier Crimes Regulation on the Bakakhel tribe under which the entire tribe could be prosecuted for the deeds of any of its individual or group of individuals.

The section, the official said, empowered the local administration to detain the people of the Bakakhel tribe anywhere in Pakistan and could also seal their property.

"The Bakakhel tribe would either to hand over the culprits or face action," said the official, adding that he told the tribesmen to fulfil their territorial responsibilities.

Officials said the minister was kidnapped from FR Bannu and shifted to settled area, therefore, under the FCR it was the collective responsibility of the tribe to surrender the accused to the administration.

Mr Shahani, who escaped from the kidnappers in Bannu on Feb 2, told the officials that he was kidnapped from FR Bannu. The minister went to Miramshah, North Waziristan Agency, without permission reportedly to purchase a non-custom paid smuggled vehicle. Under the local law outsiders should have got prior permission from the local administration.

But Mr Shahani denied charges, saying that he had visited the tribal area to condole the death of a relative.

Sources said agencies were investigating the real motives behind Mr Shahani's kidnapping and his unauthorised visit to the tribal areas.