May 23, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 22: Tribal elders have called upon the government to release members of a jirga and constitute a commission to probe the riots in the Kurram Agency.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, representatives of the Tanzeemul Momineen said the political administration had detained 49 members of the jirga in the Peshawar Central Jail to cover up its failure.

Organisation president Ishaq Bangash urged the government to release the peace jirga members from both sides so that talks could be resumed. Political authorities had arrested the jirga members in Peshawar on Tuesday under the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

He said the jirga members should be given an opportunity for talks on restoration of durable peace in the agency.

Mr Bangash blamed the political agent of Kurram for lawlessness in the region and alleged that the local administration had become a party in the issue.

He said fighting was going on in upper parts of the Kurram Agency and the main Thall-Parachinar road had been closed for traffic for five months.

He said the jirga members had asked the administration to stop fighting between the people of Piwar and Tari Mingal areas before starting negotiations, but instead of implementing the jirga proposal, its members were sent to jail without any reason.

He termed the arrest of the jirga members illegal and immoral and said detention of elders under the FCR had exposed the government. He proposed that a high- level commission headed by a senior judge should investigate the Kurram riots and bring culprits to justice.

He called upon the government to stop attacks of Mingal and Kharuti tribes on the Turi tribe of Paiwar and ensure immediate ceasefire between the warring parties.

The organisation members said it was the government’s responsibility to open the main road and provide security to local people.