October 12, 2008	Sunday	Shawwal 12, 1429

LANDI KOTAL, Oct 11: The Akkakhel tribe failed to form a proposed Lashkar after the militant organisation Lashkar-i-Islam (LI) warned it against doing so, sources said.

The elders of the Akkakhel locality of the Bara tehsil had agreed a week ago to form a Lashkar and had duly informed the political administration about their intentions. The decision of raising a Lashkar was taken when some militants attacked an army convoy in the area and the Bara political authorities exerted pressure on the tribe to expel militants from their area.

The sources said that the Bara-based LI took serious notice of the Akkakhel elders’ intention about formation of a separate Lashkar and its chief Mangal Bagh had warned them against doing so. Under pressure from Mangal Bagh and his armed band, the Akkakhel elders even refused to attend a jirga convened at the Khyber House.