March 9, 2006	Thursday	Safar 8, 1427

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PESHAWAR, March 8: Followers of Pir Saifur Rehman, a religious leader recently expelled from the Khyber agency, have alleged that his rival Mufti Munir Shakir has not left the agency and is still operating his illegal FM radio station.

Tribesmen from Qumber Khel, Malik Din Khel, Spah, Kamar Khel,Aka Khel, Zakha Khel and Shalober and supporters of Pir Saifur Rehman urged the government to expel Mufti Shakir from the agency in accordance with its earlier decision to oust leaders of both parties from the area. Mufti Shakir, they alleged, was fanning hatred through his sermons on his FM stations.

Haji Shandi Gul, spokesperson for the Pir group, said at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday that his group had proof that Mufti Shakir was still in the agency.

“Mufti Shakir has not left the agency and we know the people who met him recently. He is still transmitting his sermons through his FM channel,” Haider Khan of the Shalober tribe said.

They criticised what they called the discriminatory attitude of the political administration towards Pir Saifur Rehman who had left the Bara subdivision on Feb 2. The Pir group said that he was in Lahore whereas his rival Mufti Shakir was still in the Khyber agency.

The two clerics, who belong to different schools of thoughts, were ordered to leave the tribal agency after they created sectarian tensions through their illegal FM radio channels.

Mufti Shakir had also agreed to leave the agency after receiving orders from the political administration to the effect.

Haji Shandi Gul said that the political administration was equally responsible for creating sectarian disharmony in the tribal agency as it was siding with the Mufti group.

The Pir group was abiding by the decision of the political administration but the Mufti network was still operating in the agency and fuelling sectarian hatred, he alleged.

The tribesmen warned that the situation could worsen in the agency if the controversial radio transmissions were not stopped and Mufti Shakir was not punished for what they alleged his responsibility of 50 deaths.

“Pir Saifur Rehman would be brought back to the agency and demonstrations would be held against Mufti Shakir for which the political administration would be responsible”, they said.

They branded Mufti Shakir as ‘terrorist’ and accused him of misusing tribal teenagers against his rivals.

“It is Mufti Shakir who should leave the agency because he is ruining the future of youths and creating disharmony in the agency,” Gulab Badshah, another tribesman, said.