March, 19 2005	Saturday	08 Safar 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

PESHAWAR, March 18: The Storikhel tribesmen of the Orakzai Agency have demanded strict action against the political administration of the agency for providing shelter and support to terrorists linked with Al Qaeda and involved in the killing of two levy men at the Levy checkpoint, Ghuzdara, eight months ago. Addressing a Press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Malik Waid Ali and Malik Mastan Ali, leaders of the Storikhel tribesmen accused the Assistant Political Agent (APA) Iqbal and Political Agent (PA) Yousuf Khan of not only giving refuge to terrorists involved in the killing of the levy men but also protecting those who provided sanctuary to the terrorists. They said on July 25, 2004, two unknown terrorists entered the Levy Checkpoint, Ghuzdara, and had started indiscriminate fire, killing the two levy men Habib Ali and Mohib Ali on the spot. “After hearing firing shots, the local people followed the terrorists and encircled them at the house of Waris Khan of Storikhel tribe. We identified the two accused. One was Persian-speaking while the other was Pashto-speaking,” they said.

Later, they said that the APA and PA, along with heavy contingent of Khassadars, reached the spot. The tribal leaders said that Waris Khan neither handed over the accused to them nor the political administration forced him to hand over the accused to law-enforcers.

They said the accused had links with Al Qaeda and that was why both the APA and some people of the Storikhel tribe helped the accused in their escape from the area.

The tribal leaders alleged that the Political Administration did not recover the accused within 24 hours and instead provided shelter to them.

They further alleged that after two days, Waris Khan presented other innocent men in place of real culprits and the APA locked him and charged him with 20 years imprisonment for sheltering terrorists.