October 06, 2008	Monday	Shawwal 06, 1429

TIMERGARA, Oct 5: About 600 people here on Sunday took to the streets to demand release of four persons detained in connection with the kidnapping of Chinese engineers.

The demonstration held at Asbanr village, was organised by the Adenzai peace jirga.

Former provincial minister and president of the peace jirga Bakht Baidar Khan, provincial chief of the JUI-F senator Maulana Gul Nasib Khan, provincial vice-president of the PML-N and former provincial minister Malik Jehan Zeb, provincial joint secretary of the ANP Hussain Shah Yousafzai, PPP district leader and ex-district zakat committee chairman Khurshid Ali Khan and other members of the grand Adenzai jirga addressed the rally.

The speakers condemned the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers and also criticised the detention of general secretary of the jirga Mohammad Humayun and his brothers Nisar and Iqbal along with their friend Rashid in connection with the abduction case.

They said that the arrested persons were innocent and had nothing to do with the abduction of the Chinese engineers. They complained that the government was nabbing innocent people instead of taking concrete steps for the recovery of the Chinese nationals.

They said China was one of the closet friends of Pakistan and those involved in its engineers’ abduction could not be loyal Pakistanis They demanded of the government to immediately free the arrested persons.

Senator Maulana Gul Nasib appealed to the Taliban to set the Chinese engineers free as the incident could hurt friendship between the two countries.

The speakers criticised the role of provincial and federal governments regarding the matter and demanded practical steps to recover the kidnapped engineers.

The grand peace jirga members also condemned the lawmakers from the district and alleged that after getting elected in Feb 18 elections they had not been concentrating on people’s grievances. They alleged that no lawmaker had ever attended the jirga.

It merits a mention here that two Chinese engineers were kidnapped on August 29 from the Khall area of Lower Dir.

Later, the Swat Taliban accepted the responsibility of their abduction and demanded release of its people in response.

The Lower Dir police held six people including Mohammad Humayun Khan and his two brothers for allegedly helping the kidnappers. Mohammad Humayun belongs to Pakistan People Party and is also the party’s district organiser.

Later, two of the detainees were released while the others would be produced in an anti-terrorism court on October 7.

BAJAUR IDPS COMPLAIN: Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Bajaur Agency, housed in the Khungi Timergara camp here have complained about shortage of relief facilities.

During a visit to the camp on Sunday the camp inmates told this reporter that at least 180 families had to live in the camp without any shelter as they had not been provided with tents.

They said they had been facing shortage of food, water and medicines since the camp was set up. Ameer Rahman of Inayat Kalay, said his family with nine members had no tent and they had to live under the open sky.

Another displaced person Nisar of Bilot said his 10-member family had also been without tent for the last one week. Shah Nabi of Tanay Mamond said he was not provided with tent. He said he had to live in the open sky with his 6 children.

Abdullah who reached the camp on Monday requested the authorities that he should be provided with shelter and food as he could not be able to support his 8-member family.

Meanwhile, Lower Dir district coordination officer Ghulam Mohammad rejected the allegations that the government was not providing relief to the Bajaur displaced persons. He said that the IDPs were being provided with food and medicines.

Meanwhile, the Red Crescent on Sunday provided four water filter tanks to the Khungi camp so that the inmates could have clean drinking water, said Abdul Hamid, in charge of the camp.