October 07, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 7, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, Oct 6: Elders of Kukikhel and Shinwari tribes in Khyber Agency have refused to adhere to the government demand about the formation of a tribal Lashkar in their respective areas.

Khyber Agency political administration convened a jirga of Shinwari elders at the Jirga Hall on Monday which was attended by nearly one hundred local elders.

After thoroughly deliberating the prevailing law and order situation, increasing number of kidnapping on the main Peshawar-Torkhum highway and a surge in the activities of militants, the local elders decided to constitute a 30-member peace committee instead of raising a tribal Lashkar.

A Shinwari elder Malik Gulab Khan told the officials that his tribe wanted to resolve the issue of deteriorating law and order peacefully and curb the menace of terrorism unleashed by local militants.

The jirga also resolved to ban entry of non local militant organisations in Landi Kotal. The jirga told the local administration that no religious organisation would be allowed to come to Landi Kotal in the name of implementing its own brand of Sharia.

Also in Jamrud tehsil, the Kukikhel jirga refused to raise a Lashkar and resolved to settle disputes with militants through negotiations.

Addressing the jirga, held near Railway Station, Malik Attaullah Kukikhel accused the political administration of pitting tribesmen against their own men. He said that formation of armed Lashkar would further aggravate the already volatile situation in the tribal areas. He said that instead of raising lashkars, the government should strengthen the role of tribal jirga.

FC SUBEDARS FREED: Lashkar-i-Islam released two abducted subedars of Mehsud Scouts on Sunday night after the local administration succumbed to its demand about release of 18 activists.

Armed Lsashkar-i-Islam activists abducted Subedar Dawlat Khan on Friday while Subedar Wakil Khan was kidnapped some three weeks ago from Bara. The Bara political administration constituted a jirga a week ago to help recover the two missing FC officials.

Sources in Bara said that the two FC officials were released only after the administration accepted LI demand to release its 18 activists.

Sources said that after the handing over of the two Subedars in Bara last night, the political administration also released the LI men and handed them over to local elders.

TRIBESMAN SURRENDERS: A tribesman wanted in a number of cases surrendered to the political authorities here on Monday after remaining absconder for two months, officials said.

They said that Hazrat Ali, brother of Hazrat Nabi alias Tomanche Mullah, gave a surety bond of Rs9 million to the authorities and assured them of his good conduct in future. He was accused of attacking oil tankers and containers carrying goods to Nato forces in Afghanistan, providing shelter to suspected outsiders and kidnapping for ransom in the area.

Tomanche Mullah, who was notorious for opposing polio vaccination, and his brother had provided shelter to Lashkar-i-Islam chief Mangal Bagh in the area.

Assistant Political Agent Tahab Khan told Dawn that Hazrat Ali had assured the authorities that he would not provide shelter to outsiders and would not attack oil tankers and containers heading for Afghanistan.