January 25, 2008	Friday	Muharram 15, 1429

DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 24: A soldier of the Balochistan Reserve Force (BRF) was injured in an armed clash between tribesmen and BRF personnel in Baiwata, a town on the border with Punjab.

Personnel of the Reserve Force had allegedly intruded into Punjab to arrest some officials of the border military police maintaining security in the tribal areas of Dera Ghazi Khan tehsil.

According to sources, a Balochistan-based secret agency had picked up two officials of the border military police identified as Dad and Munir on Jan 22 without officially informing the authorities concerned who described them as missing.

The secret agency claimed that the officials were involved in unlawful activities but their detention created resentment in the Jarani clan of the Leghari tribe.

The border military police authorities urged the officials of the agency to bring the matter on record, but the situation turned ugly when they intruded again to make another arrest but their attempt was foiled by tribesmen.

The officials returned along with militia personnel but the tribesmen opened fire, injuring the paramilitary soldier.

The commandant of the border military police and assistant political agent of the tribal area of Dera Ghazi Khan, Naeemullah Bhatti, told Dawn that he had deployed heavy contingents of the military police and the Baloch Levies to bring the situation under control.

He said he had sent a report to the interior ministry.