May 04, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1429

GHALANAI, May 3: A jirga held here on Saturday between the local Taliban and officials of the political administration agreed to take concrete steps to end militancy and lawlessness in the volatile Mohmand Agency.

The negotiations were organised by the elders of the agency to restore peace and tranquility in the area.

The tribal elders, including former MNA Malak Fazal Manan Kodakhel, told journalists that they had held talks with Taliban commanders and officials of the political administration to extend ceasefire in the area. They hoped that the ongoing jirgas would find an amicable solution to the law and order in the agency and develop consensus on resolving issues through political dialogue and jirgas.

They further said that law and order in the past was created due to some misunderstandings but now all the stakeholders were well aware of the situation.

Meanwhile, two employees of the Communication and Works (C&W) department and two officials of an NGO were freed here on Saturday by their captors.

Two C&W drivers identified as Ramdad and Sher Muhammad and a clerk Iftikhar were kidnapped by some unknown persons from Yakaghund area in Mohmand Agency on April 30. However, Iftikhar was released immediately after the arrests.

The kidnappers, political officials and residents said, freed the remaining two drivers on Saturday at Yakaghund.

In the second incident two employees of ‘Save the Children’ NGO, a logistic support officer Noorul Haq, and driver Amir Mohammad, who were kidnapped by unknown persons on April 23 were also released by their captors. They reached their office on Saturday.

After these arrests, employees of various departments in the Mohmand Agency had stopped coming to their offices because of insecurity and risk to their lives.

Meanwhile, four persons were seriously injured in a marble factory mine blast.

The injured minors were admitted to the Bajour agency headquarters hospital, Khar, from where one of the injured was taken to Peshawar in a critical condition.

Sources said over 200 people have so far been killed and hundreds injured in the marble mines blasts in the area due to the use of old and outdated machinery.