June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), June 21: The Bara political administration on Thursday released 17 tribesmen arrested under the Collective Territorial Responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a local journalist and his friend.

The freed tribesmen belonged to the Shalobar tribe. They were arrested by the local administration to put pressure on the kidnappers of Sohail Qalandar and his friend Niaz Mohammad.

The two were recovered from Bara two months after being kidnapped. The administration also impounded a number of public and private vehicles belonging to Shalobar tribesmen. About a month ago, another 30 tribesmen from Shalobar and Malikdin Khel clans were released by the authorities after the recovery of Mr Qalandar and his friend.

The Bara political administration has so far arrested only two people, Abdul Badshah and Saida Jan, for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of the two men. Sources said that Suhail Qalandar had agreed to freeing the 17 tribesmen but demanded the arrest of remaining seven people involved in his kidnapping.

Meanwhile, Akakhel tribesmen handed over seven peeople allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Engineer Khurshid and Zakir Badhaber.

Earlier, the assistant political agent of Bara had convened a jirga of Akakhel elders and demanded the handing over of the culprits involved in the kidnapping of the two men.